Pitt-Bradford vs. Swarthmore

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

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
Location Bradford, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,003 1,644
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #443 #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pitt.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $13,660 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $25,534 $61,992
Room & Board $10,848 $18,964
Avg Net Price $17,015 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $14,576 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 53%

Admission

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,985 14,287
Admitted 4,527 992
Acceptance Rate 90.8% 6.9%
Enrolled % 6.8% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.9
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 22/31 33/34
SAT Range 1030/1260 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 4, 2026

Academics

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 48% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,909 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $278 $201

Diversity

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 2% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 73% 42%
% Black 11% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

Pitt-Bradford Swarthmore
% In-State 59% 10%
% Out-of-State 35% 75%

Campus

Pitt-Bradford 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

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Pitt-Bradford based on total student enrollment (1,644 students vs. 1,003 students)

Pitt-Bradford vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pitt-Bradford or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 353.8% more expensive to attend than Pitt-Bradford for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $13,660.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 142.8% higher at Swarthmore than University of Pittsburgh Bradford ($61,992.00 vs. $25,534.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Pittsburgh Bradford than Swarthmore ($17,015 vs. $17,930)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pittsburgh Bradford are 74.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($10,848 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Pittsburgh Bradford than Swarthmore College (96% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 325.9% larger than aid received University of Pittsburgh Bradford ($62,084 vs. $14,576)

Pitt-Bradford vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 453 points higher than at Pitt-Bradford (978)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Pitt-Bradford (21)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.62 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Pitt-Bradford (3.28)
  • Pitt-Bradford has a higher acceptance rate (90.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Pitt-Bradford vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pitt-Bradford 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 Pitt-Bradford.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than University of Pittsburgh Bradford (95% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $7,800 more per year than Pitt-Bradford graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $58,000)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,409 lower median federal student loan debt than Pitt-Bradford graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,909)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than Pitt-Bradford graduates. ($201 vs. $278)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pitt-Bradford students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 75%)

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