University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Swarthmore

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

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
Location Lowell, MA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,770 1,644
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #428 #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uml.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $15,850 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $34,676 $61,992
Room & Board $15,424 $18,964
Avg Net Price $17,624 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $12,647 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 53%

Admission

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,628 14,287
Admitted 10,764 992
Acceptance Rate 85.2% 6.9%
Enrolled % 19.4% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 26/30 33/34
SAT Range 1180/1350 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 Feb 15, 2026 Jan 4, 2026

Academics

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (12%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 50% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $201

Diversity

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
% Men 15% 0%
% Women 13% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

University of Massachusetts-Lowell Swarthmore
% In-State 87% 10%
% Out-of-State 10% 75%

Campus

University of Massachusetts-Lowell 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 Massachusetts Lowell is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (16,770 students vs. 1,644 students)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, University of Massachusetts-Lowell or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 291.1% more expensive to attend than University of Massachusetts-Lowell for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $15,850.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 78.8% higher at Swarthmore than University of Massachusetts Lowell ($61,992.00 vs. $34,676.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Massachusetts Lowell than Swarthmore ($17,624 vs. $17,930)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Lowell are 23% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,424 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Lowell than Swarthmore College (79% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 390.9% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Lowell ($62,084 vs. $12,647)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 234 points higher than at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (1197)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (26)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (3.67)
  • University of Massachusetts-Lowell has a higher acceptance rate (85.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

University of Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, University of Massachusetts-Lowell 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 University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than University of Massachusetts Lowell (95% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($19,500 vs. $25,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($201 vs. $258)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of Massachusetts-Lowell 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/