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Haverford College RIT Stevens Amherst Williams Binghamton University Vassar Northeastern U of R Lehigh MIT Bryn Mawr| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Troy, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 6,968 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #110 | #40 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | rpi.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,600 | $58,928 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,600 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,980 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $39,127 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $38,636 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 90% | 63% |
Admission |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,863 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 10,878 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 64.5% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.4% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.88 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 30/34 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1360/1520 | 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 15, 2025 | Jan 4, 2025 |
Academics |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 12:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 84% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,500 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 92% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $27,500 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $284 | $201 |
Diversity |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 69% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 31% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 59% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 3% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 8% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 7% | 8% | ||
| % International | 11% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 3% |
Students |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 36% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 75% | ||
Campus |
RPI | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (6,968 students vs. 1,625 students)
RPI vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, RPI or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 0.6% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,600.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.6% higher at Swarthmore than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($58,928.00 vs. $58,600.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than RPI ($20,715 vs. $39,127)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are 6.2% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,980 vs. $18,026)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Swarthmore College (90% vs. 63%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 23.5% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($47,703 vs. $38,636)
RPI vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, RPI or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or RPI .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 63 points higher than at RPI (1368)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RPI (30)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RPI (3.88)
- RPI has a higher acceptance rate (64.5%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
RPI vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, RPI 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 RPI.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (95% vs. 84%)
- Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $16,700 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $65,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $8,000 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,500)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $83 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($201 vs. $284)
- More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/