Wellesley vs. Swarthmore

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

Wellesley Swarthmore
Location Wellesley, MA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,447 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $58,928
Room & Board $19,080 $18,026
Avg Net Price $21,362 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 63%

Admission

Wellesley Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 14,707
Admitted 1,152 1,019
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 6.9%
Enrolled % 50.8% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 32/35
SAT Range 1430/1550 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 8, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 92% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $92 $201

Diversity

Wellesley Swarthmore
% Men 1% 49%
% Women 99% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 8%
% International 12% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Wellesley Swarthmore
% In-State 11% 10%
% Out-of-State 73% 75%

Campus

Wellesley 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

  • Wellesley College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,447 students vs. 1,625 students)

Wellesley vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Swarthmore?

  • Wellesley College is 4.5% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.5% higher at Wellesley than Swarthmore College ($61,584.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Wellesley ($20,715 vs. $21,362)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 5.8% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($18,026 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Wellesley College (63% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 28.6% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($61,328 vs. $47,703)

Wellesley vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 62 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • Wellesley has a higher acceptance rate (13.6%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Wellesley vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wellesley 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 Wellesley.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Wellesley College (95% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $2,300 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $65,800)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $10,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($8,900 vs. $19,500)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $109 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($92 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 86%)

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