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Haverford College Vanderbilt Emory Amherst Northwestern Cornell Rice Williams Duke Notre Dame Georgetown Vassar| Washington University in St Louis | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Saint Louis, MO | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 16,500 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #21 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | wustl.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $61,750 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $61,750 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,778 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,440 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,036 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 48% | 53% |
Admission |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 32,240 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 3,855 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 12% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 47.4% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.92 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1500/1570 | 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 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $82,800 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 88% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,900 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $205 | $201 |
Diversity |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 25% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 25% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 55% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 8% | ||
| % International | 8% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 3% |
Students |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 12% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 76% | 75% | ||
Campus |
WUSTL | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Washington University in St Louis is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (16,500 students vs. 1,644 students)
WUSTL vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, WUSTL or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 0.4% more expensive to attend than WUSTL for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $61,750.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.4% higher at Swarthmore than Washington University in St Louis ($61,992.00 vs. $61,750.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than WUSTL ($17,930 vs. $22,440)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 9.6% lower than costs at Washington University in St Louis ($18,964 vs. $20,778)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Washington University in St Louis (53% vs. 48%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 1.7% larger than aid received Washington University in St Louis ($62,084 vs. $61,036)
WUSTL vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, WUSTL or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or WUSTL .
- The average SAT score at Washington University in St Louis (1469) is 38 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
- Incoming WUSTL students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman WUSTL students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
- WUSTL has a higher acceptance rate (12%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
WUSTL vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, WUSTL 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 WUSTL .
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Washington University in St Louis (95% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Washington University in St Louis earn on average $17,000 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($82,800 vs. $65,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $400 lower median federal student loan debt than WUSTL graduates. ($19,500 vs. $19,900)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than WUSTL graduates. ($201 vs. $205)
- More WUSTL graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/