Reed vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Reed College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Reed 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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Reed College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
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Reed College Swarthmore College
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Overview

Reed Swarthmore
Location Portland, OR Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,534 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #77 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website reed.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Reed Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $64,450 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $64,450 $58,928
Room & Board $15,950 $18,026
Avg Net Price $33,106 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $47,864 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 63%

Admission

Reed Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,023 14,707
Admitted 2,779 1,019
Acceptance Rate 30.8% 6.9%
Enrolled % 14.2% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.9
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 30/33 32/35
SAT Range 1320/1500 1440/1560
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, 2025

Academics

Reed Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Reed Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 80% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,200 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $165 $201

Diversity

Reed Swarthmore
% Men 42% 49%
% Women 58% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 60% 42%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 8%
% International 7% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

Reed Swarthmore
% In-State 6% 10%
% Out-of-State 87% 75%

Campus

Reed 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

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Reed based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 1,534 students)

Reed vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Reed or Swarthmore?

  • Reed College is 9.4% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($64,450.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.4% higher at Reed than Swarthmore College ($64,450.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Reed ($20,715 vs. $33,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 13% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,950 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Reed College (63% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Reed College students is 0.3% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($47,864 vs. $47,703)

Reed vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 48 points higher than at Reed (1383)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Reed (31)
  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • Reed has a higher acceptance rate (30.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Reed vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Reed 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 Reed.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Reed College (95% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $18,600 more per year than Reed graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $47,200)
  • Reed College students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($16,000 vs. $19,500)
  • Reed graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($165 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Reed students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 84%)

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