Swarthmore vs. VWC

Should I go to Swarthmore College or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Swarthmore or VWC 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Haverford College Amherst Williams Vassar Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown Penn Middlebury
Swarthmore College vs. Virginia Wesleyan College comparison
Swarthmore College Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
Swarthmore College Virginia Wesleyan College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Swarthmore VWC
Location Swarthmore, PA Norfolk, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 1,625 1,538
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40 #631
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Swarthmore VWC
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $36,010
Room & Board $18,026 $11,070
Avg Net Price $20,715 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

Swarthmore VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 1,718
Admitted 1,019 1,399
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 81.4%
Enrolled % 42.5% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.39
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 27/29
SAT Range 1440/1560 1190/1365
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

Academics

Swarthmore VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Swarthmore VWC
Graduation Rate 95% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $201 $279

Diversity

Swarthmore VWC
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 54%
% Black 6% 24%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 5%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 6%

Students

Swarthmore VWC
% In-State 10% 73%
% Out-of-State 75% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than VWC based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 1,538 students)

Swarthmore vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or VWC?

  • Swarthmore College is 63.6% more expensive to attend than VWC for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 63.6% higher at Swarthmore than Virginia Wesleyan College ($58,928.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than VWC ($20,715 vs. $23,046)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 62.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($11,070 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Wesleyan College than Swarthmore College (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 73% larger than aid received Virginia Wesleyan College ($47,703 vs. $27,568)

Swarthmore vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 449 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at VWC (3.39)
  • VWC has a higher acceptance rate (81.4%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Swarthmore vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (95% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $24,100 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $41,700)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VWC graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than VWC graduates. ($201 vs. $279)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 57%)

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