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Penn State Haverford College Amherst UVM UMass JMU Williams Rutgers Virginia Tech Vassar TCNJ UConn| University of Delaware | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UD | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Newark, DE | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 24,221 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #142 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | udel.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UD | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $14,040 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $37,680 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,838 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,716 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $12,996 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 87% | 53% |
Admission |
UD | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 37,690 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 24,541 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 65.1% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.5% | 41.8% | ||
| 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 | 27/31 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1200/1360 | 1460/1560 | ||
| 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, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
UD | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 15:1 | 8:1 | ||
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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 | 9% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 10% | 1% | ||
| 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 | 35% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 64% | 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 (24,221 students vs. 1,644 students)
UD vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UD or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 341.5% more expensive to attend than UD for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $14,040.00)
- Out of state tuition is 64.5% higher at Swarthmore than University of Delaware ($61,992.00 vs. $37,680.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Delaware than Swarthmore ($17,716 vs. $17,930)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Delaware are 27.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,838 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of Delaware than Swarthmore College (87% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 377.7% larger than aid received University of Delaware ($62,084 vs. $12,996)
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 (65.1%) 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/