SUNY Stony Brook vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Stony Brook University or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SUNY Stony Brook 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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Stony Brook University vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Stony Brook University Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Stony Brook University Swarthmore College
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Overview

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
Location Stony Brook, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 25,710 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #131 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stonybrook.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $24,990 $58,928
Room & Board $16,408 $18,026
Avg Net Price $17,213 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $11,584 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 63%

Admission

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,513 14,707
Admitted 19,908 1,019
Acceptance Rate 49.1% 6.9%
Enrolled % 16.8% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 28/34 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 15, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 67% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $196 $201

Diversity

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
% Men 47% 49%
% Women 53% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 36% 42%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 13% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

SUNY Stony Brook Swarthmore
% In-State 81% 10%
% Out-of-State 10% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Stony Brook University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (25,710 students vs. 1,625 students)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Stony Brook or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 733.5% more expensive to attend than SUNY Stony Brook for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 135.8% higher at Swarthmore than Stony Brook University ($58,928.00 vs. $24,990.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stony Brook University than Swarthmore ($17,213 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stony Brook University are 9.9% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,408 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stony Brook University than Swarthmore College (82% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 311.8% larger than aid received Stony Brook University ($47,703 vs. $11,584)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 160 points higher than at SUNY Stony Brook (1271)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at SUNY Stony Brook (29)
  • Accepted freshman SUNY Stony Brook students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • SUNY Stony Brook has a higher acceptance rate (49.1%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

SUNY Stony Brook vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Stony Brook 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 SUNY Stony Brook.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Stony Brook University (95% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $6,500 more per year than SUNY Stony Brook graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $59,300)
  • Stony Brook University students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($19,000 vs. $19,500)
  • SUNY Stony Brook graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($196 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Stony Brook students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 73%)

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