SUNY Poly vs. Swarthmore

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

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
Location Utica, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,842 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #257 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sunyit.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $17,830 $58,928
Room & Board $14,008 $18,026
Avg Net Price $13,799 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $9,497 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 63%

Admission

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,919 14,707
Admitted 2,384 1,019
Acceptance Rate 81.7% 6.9%
Enrolled % 16% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/31 32/35
SAT Range 1040/1400 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 Aug 1, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Engineering Technology (20%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 47% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,200 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,585 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $171 $201

Diversity

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
% Men 59% 49%
% Women 41% 51%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

SUNY Poly Swarthmore
% In-State 95% 10%
% Out-of-State 3% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,842 students vs. 1,625 students)

SUNY Poly vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Poly or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 733.5% more expensive to attend than SUNY Poly for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 230.5% higher at Swarthmore than SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($58,928.00 vs. $17,830.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Swarthmore ($13,799 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Polytechnic Institute are 28.7% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,008 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY Polytechnic Institute than Swarthmore College (89% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 402.3% larger than aid received SUNY Polytechnic Institute ($47,703 vs. $9,497)

SUNY Poly vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 290 points higher than at SUNY Poly (1141)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at SUNY Poly (26)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at SUNY Poly (3.7)
  • SUNY Poly has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

SUNY Poly vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Poly 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 Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than SUNY Polytechnic Institute (95% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $12,600 more per year than SUNY Poly graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $53,200)
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute students graduate with a $2,915 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($16,585 vs. $19,500)
  • SUNY Poly graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($171 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Poly students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 63%)

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