St John's vs. Swarthmore

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

St John's Swarthmore
Location Annapolis, MD Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 578 1,644
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sjca.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St John's Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $37,842 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $37,842 $61,992
Room & Board $14,984 $18,964
Avg Net Price $27,729 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $25,194 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 53%

Admission

St John's Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,059 14,287
Admitted 469 992
Acceptance Rate 44.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 28.4% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/32 33/34
SAT Range 1250/1500 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

St John's Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

St John's Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 69% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,200 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $201

Diversity

St John's Swarthmore
% Men 12% 0%
% Women 4% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 42%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

St John's Swarthmore
% In-State 12% 10%
% Out-of-State 75% 75%

Campus

St John's 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 St John's based on total student enrollment (1,644 students vs. 578 students)

St John's vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St John's or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 63.8% more expensive to attend than St John's for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $37,842.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 63.8% higher at Swarthmore than St John's College ($61,992.00 vs. $37,842.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than St John's ($17,930 vs. $27,729)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St John's College are 26.6% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,984 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St John's College than Swarthmore College (92% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 146.4% larger than aid received St John's College ($62,084 vs. $25,194)

St John's vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at St John's (3.81)
  • St John's has a higher acceptance rate (44.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

St John's vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St John's 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 St John's.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than St John's College (95% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $24,600 more per year than St John's graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $41,200)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St John's graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than St John's graduates. ($201 vs. $279)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St John's students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 74%)

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