UD vs. Swarthmore

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

UD Swarthmore
Location Newark, DE Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 24,039 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #151 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website udel.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UD Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $13,370 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $35,890 $58,928
Room & Board $14,234 $18,026
Avg Net Price $18,044 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $12,375 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 63%

Admission

UD Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 35,362 14,707
Admitted 26,101 1,019
Acceptance Rate 73.8% 6.9%
Enrolled % 18.8% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 26/31 32/35
SAT Range 1190/1360 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

UD Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

UD Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 78% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,203 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $250 $201

Diversity

UD Swarthmore
% Men 43% 49%
% Women 57% 51%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

UD Swarthmore
% In-State 33% 10%
% Out-of-State 65% 75%

Campus

UD 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

  • University of Delaware is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (24,039 students vs. 1,625 students)

UD vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UD or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 340.7% more expensive to attend than UD for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $13,370.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.2% higher at Swarthmore than University of Delaware ($58,928.00 vs. $35,890.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Delaware than Swarthmore ($18,044 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Delaware are 26.6% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,234 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Delaware than Swarthmore College (88% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 285.5% larger than aid received University of Delaware ($47,703 vs. $12,375)

UD vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 233 points higher than at UD (1198)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UD (27)
  • Accepted freshman UD students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • UD has a higher acceptance rate (73.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

UD vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UD 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 UD.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than University of Delaware (95% vs. 78%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $4,500 more per year than UD graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $61,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $4,703 lower median federal student loan debt than UD graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,203)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than UD graduates. ($201 vs. $250)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UD students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 80%)

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