Penn State New Kensington vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Penn State New Kensington or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State New Kensington or Swarthmore is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Penn State New Kensington vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Swarthmore College
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Overview

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Location Upper Burrell, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 456 1,644
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $61,992
Room & Board $13,448 $18,964
Avg Net Price $19,294 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $7,450 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 53%

Admission

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 643 14,287
Admitted 600 992
Acceptance Rate 93.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 20.8% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 25/27 33/34
SAT Range 1030/1270 1460/1560
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 4, 2026

Academics

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 40% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $201

Diversity

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
% Men 1% 0%
% Women 6% 1%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 87% 42%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 2% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 8%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
% In-State 85% 10%
% Out-of-State 13% 75%

Campus

Penn State New Kensington Swarthmore
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State New Kensington based on total student enrollment (1,644 students vs. 456 students)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State New Kensington or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 348.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State New Kensington for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 165.9% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State New Kensington ($61,992.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Penn State New Kensington ($17,930 vs. $19,294)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State New Kensington are 41% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($13,448 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State New Kensington than Swarthmore College (91% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 733.3% larger than aid received Penn State New Kensington ($62,084 vs. $7,450)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State New Kensington or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Penn State New Kensington .

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 451 points higher than at Penn State New Kensington (980)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State New Kensington (21)
  • Penn State New Kensington has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State New Kensington vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State New Kensington or Swarthmore? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Swarthmore and Penn State New Kensington.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State New Kensington (95% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State New Kensington graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State New Kensington graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State New Kensington students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/