Penn State Berks vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Penn State Berks or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Berks 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Haverford College Amherst Williams Vassar Penn State Altoona Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown Penn
Penn State Berks vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Penn State Berks Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks Swarthmore College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
Location Reading, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,077 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $58,928
Room & Board $14,334 $18,026
Avg Net Price $21,728 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 63%

Admission

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 14,707
Admitted 5,453 1,019
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 11.6% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/28 32/35
SAT Range 1090/1290 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 4, 2024

Academics

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 55% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $201

Diversity

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
% Men 59% 49%
% Women 41% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 68% 42%
% Black 9% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Berks Swarthmore
% In-State 64% 10%
% Out-of-State 30% 75%

Campus

Penn State Berks 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

  • Penn State Berks is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,077 students vs. 1,625 students)

Penn State Berks vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 282.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 127.9% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Berks ($58,928.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Penn State Berks ($20,715 vs. $21,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 25.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,334 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Berks than Swarthmore College (66% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 459.4% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($47,703 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 453 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Berks vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks 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 Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Berks (95% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Berks graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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