Penn State York vs. Swarthmore

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

Penn State York Swarthmore
Location York, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 718 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State York Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $58,928
Room & Board $12,984 $18,026
Avg Net Price $18,910 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $8,440 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 84% 63%

Admission

Penn State York Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,005 14,707
Admitted 1,862 1,019
Acceptance Rate 92.9% 6.9%
Enrolled % 10.3% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 23/26 32/35
SAT Range 1090/1300 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 York Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Work and Family Studies (24%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State York Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 45% 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 York Swarthmore
% Men 64% 49%
% Women 36% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 15% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

Penn State York Swarthmore
% In-State 81% 10%
% Out-of-State 17% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State York based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 718 students)

Penn State York vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

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

  • Swarthmore College is 303% more expensive to attend than Penn State York for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 142.3% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State York ($58,928.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State York than Swarthmore ($18,910 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State York are 38.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,984 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State York than Swarthmore College (84% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 465.2% larger than aid received Penn State York ($47,703 vs. $8,440)

Penn State York vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 381 points higher than at Penn State York (1050)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State York (24)
  • Penn State York has a higher acceptance rate (92.9%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State York vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State York 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 York.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State York (95% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State York 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 York graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State York graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State York 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/