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Haverford College Claremont McKenna HMC Amherst Stanford USC Williams Vassar Cal Poly UCLA Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins| Pomona College | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Claremont, CA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 1,664 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #20 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | pomona.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $61,906 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $61,906 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,374 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,423 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $63,773 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 56% | 53% |
Admission |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 12,121 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 819 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 6.8% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 49.8% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.89 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1480/1560 | 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 8, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 95% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $70,500 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $11,000 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $113 | $201 |
Diversity |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 1% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 40% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 7% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 15% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 8% | 8% | ||
| % International | 10% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 6% | 3% |
Students |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 30% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 51% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Pomona | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Pomona College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,664 students vs. 1,644 students)
Pomona vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Pomona or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 0.1% more expensive to attend than Pomona for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $61,906.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Swarthmore than Pomona College ($61,992.00 vs. $61,906.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pomona College than Swarthmore ($17,423 vs. $17,930)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 7.4% lower than costs at Pomona College ($18,964 vs. $20,374)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Pomona College than Swarthmore College (56% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Pomona College students is 2.7% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($63,773 vs. $62,084)
Pomona vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Pomona or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Pomona .
- The average SAT score at Pomona College (1435) is 4 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
- Incoming Pomona students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Pomona (3.89)
- Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Pomona (6.8%)
Pomona vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Pomona 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 Pomona.
- The graduation rate at Pomona is the same as at Swarthmore College (95% vs. 95%)
- Graduates from Pomona College earn on average $4,700 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($70,500 vs. $65,800)
- Pomona College students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($11,000 vs. $19,500)
- Pomona graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($113 vs. $201)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/