Penn State Brandywine vs. Swarthmore

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

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
Location Media, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,196 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #729 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $58,928
Room & Board $13,930 $18,026
Avg Net Price $21,600 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $9,638 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 63%

Admission

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,440 14,707
Admitted 2,347 1,019
Acceptance Rate 96.2% 6.9%
Enrolled % 17% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/31 32/35
SAT Range 1070/1285 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 Brandywine Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (28%)
  • Work and Family Studies (28%)
  • Communication (23%)
  • Ethnic Studies (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 37% 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 Brandywine Swarthmore
% Men 61% 49%
% Women 39% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 42%
% Black 15% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
% In-State 74% 10%
% Out-of-State 24% 75%

Campus

Penn State Brandywine Swarthmore
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 1,196 students)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

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

  • Swarthmore College is 303% more expensive to attend than Penn State Brandywine for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 142.3% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Brandywine ($58,928.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Penn State Brandywine ($20,715 vs. $21,600)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 29.4% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($13,930 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Brandywine than Swarthmore College (70% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 394.9% larger than aid received Penn State Brandywine ($47,703 vs. $9,638)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 462 points higher than at Penn State Brandywine (969)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Brandywine (22)
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (96.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Brandywine vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Brandywine 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 Brandywine.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Brandywine (95% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Brandywine 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 Brandywine graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Brandywine graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Brandywine 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/