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Haverford College Amherst Case Western Williams Vassar RPI Colgate BU Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell| University of Rochester | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
U of R | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Rochester, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 12,160 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #56 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | rochester.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
U of R | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,150 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,150 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,924 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $40,900 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $41,700 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 74% | 53% |
Admission |
U of R | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 21,680 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 7,773 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 35.9% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 19.9% | 41.8% | ||
| 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 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1400/1540 | 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 5, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
U of R | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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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 | 21% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 24% | 1% | ||
| 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 (12,160 students vs. 1,644 students)
U of R vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, U of R or Swarthmore?
- University of Rochester is 1.9% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($63,150.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 1.9% higher at U of R than Swarthmore College ($63,150.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than U of R ($17,930 vs. $40,900)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Rochester are 0.2% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,924 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rochester than Swarthmore College (74% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 48.9% larger than aid received University of Rochester ($62,084 vs. $41,700)
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 (35.9%) 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/