Swarthmore vs. Vanderbilt

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

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
Location Swarthmore, PA Nashville, TN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 1,625 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $58,130
Room & Board $18,026 $19,862
Avg Net Price $20,715 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 65%

Admission

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 46,377
Admitted 1,019 3,093
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 6.7%
Enrolled % 42.5% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 34/35
SAT Range 1440/1560 1490/1570
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, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 95% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $201 $144

Diversity

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 55%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 5%
% International 11% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

Swarthmore Vanderbilt
% In-State 10% 9%
% Out-of-State 75% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Vanderbilt University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (13,710 students vs. 1,625 students)

Swarthmore vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or Vanderbilt?

  • Swarthmore College is 1.4% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Swarthmore than Vanderbilt University ($58,928.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Vanderbilt ($20,715 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 10.2% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($18,026 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Swarthmore College (65% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 13.1% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($53,932 vs. $47,703)

Swarthmore vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 67 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
  • Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Swarthmore vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Swarthmore or Vanderbilt? 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 Vanderbilt and Swarthmore.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Vanderbilt University (95% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $17,300 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $65,800)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($14,000 vs. $19,500)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($144 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

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