U of R vs. Swarthmore

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

U of R Swarthmore
Location Rochester, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 12,197 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #53 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website rochester.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

U of R Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $60,550 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $60,550 $58,928
Room & Board $18,232 $18,026
Avg Net Price $39,775 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $39,715 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 63%

Admission

U of R Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,966 14,707
Admitted 7,768 1,019
Acceptance Rate 38.9% 6.9%
Enrolled % 20.9% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 31/34 32/35
SAT Range 1390/1540 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

U of R Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

U of R Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 83% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $71,000 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,500 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $253 $201

Diversity

U of R Swarthmore
% Men 47% 49%
% Women 53% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 42%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 18% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

U of R Swarthmore
% In-State 25% 10%
% Out-of-State 44% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rochester is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (12,197 students vs. 1,625 students)

U of R vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, U of R or Swarthmore?

  • University of Rochester is 2.8% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($60,550.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.8% higher at U of R than Swarthmore College ($60,550.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than U of R ($20,715 vs. $39,775)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 1.1% lower than costs at University of Rochester ($18,026 vs. $18,232)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rochester than Swarthmore College (71% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 20.1% larger than aid received University of Rochester ($47,703 vs. $39,715)

U of R vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at U of R (3.75)
  • U of R has a higher acceptance rate (38.9%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

U of R vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, U of R 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 U of R.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than University of Rochester (95% vs. 83%)
  • Graduates from University of Rochester earn on average $5,200 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($71,000 vs. $65,800)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than U of R graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,500)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than U of R graduates. ($201 vs. $253)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former U of R students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 79%)

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