Penn vs. Swarthmore

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

Penn Swarthmore
Location Philadelphia, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 28,201 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #23 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website upenn.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $56,212 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $56,212 $58,928
Room & Board $17,888 $18,026
Avg Net Price $26,123 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $57,175 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 63%

Admission

Penn Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,588 14,707
Admitted 3,549 1,019
Acceptance Rate 6.5% 6.9%
Enrolled % 67.9% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 32/35
SAT Range 1500/1570 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 5, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Penn Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 96% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $123,600 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,633 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $213 $201

Diversity

Penn Swarthmore
% Men 44% 49%
% Women 56% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 42%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

Penn Swarthmore
% In-State 16% 10%
% Out-of-State 67% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 1,625 students)

Penn vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 4.8% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.8% higher at Swarthmore than University of Pennsylvania ($58,928.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Penn ($20,715 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pennsylvania are 0.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($17,888 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than University of Pennsylvania (63% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 19.9% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($57,175 vs. $47,703)

Penn vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 26 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Penn (6.5%)

Penn vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn 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 Penn.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Swarthmore College (96% vs. 95%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $57,800 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $65,800)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $1,133 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($19,500 vs. $20,633)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($201 vs. $213)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 84%)

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