RIT vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Rochester Institute of Technology or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if RIT 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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Rochester Institute of Technology vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Rochester Institute of Technology Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Rochester Institute of Technology Swarthmore College
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Overview

RIT Swarthmore
Location Rochester, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,615 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #172 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rit.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

RIT Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $53,720 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $53,720 $58,928
Room & Board $14,978 $18,026
Avg Net Price $39,600 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $29,122 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 63%

Admission

RIT Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,976 14,707
Admitted 16,105 1,019
Acceptance Rate 67.2% 6.9%
Enrolled % 19.9% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/33 32/35
SAT Range 1270/1450 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

RIT Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Engineering Technology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

RIT Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 64% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,900 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $289 $201

Diversity

RIT Swarthmore
% Men 65% 49%
% Women 35% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 42%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

RIT Swarthmore
% In-State 47% 10%
% Out-of-State 49% 75%

Campus

RIT Swarthmore
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rochester Institute of Technology is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (16,615 students vs. 1,625 students)

RIT vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RIT or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 9.7% more expensive to attend than RIT for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $53,720.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.7% higher at Swarthmore than Rochester Institute of Technology ($58,928.00 vs. $53,720.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than RIT ($20,715 vs. $39,600)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rochester Institute of Technology are 20.3% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,978 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rochester Institute of Technology than Swarthmore College (97% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 63.8% larger than aid received Rochester Institute of Technology ($47,703 vs. $29,122)

RIT vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 180 points higher than at RIT (1251)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at RIT (29)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at RIT (3.7)
  • RIT has a higher acceptance rate (67.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

RIT vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RIT 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 RIT .

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Rochester Institute of Technology (95% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $900 more per year than RIT graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $64,900)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than RIT graduates. ($19,500 vs. $28,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than RIT graduates. ($201 vs. $289)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RIT students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 75%)

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