Pomona vs. Swarthmore

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

Pomona Swarthmore
Location Claremont, CA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,716 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #21 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pomona.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Pomona Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $58,818 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $58,818 $58,928
Room & Board $19,358 $18,026
Avg Net Price $19,962 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $57,848 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 47% 63%

Admission

Pomona Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,666 14,707
Admitted 749 1,019
Acceptance Rate 7% 6.9%
Enrolled % 55.1% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 32/35
SAT Range 1480/1560 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, 2024 Jan 4, 2024

Academics

Pomona Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Pomona Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 95% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,500 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $113 $201

Diversity

Pomona Swarthmore
% Men 45% 49%
% Women 55% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 42%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 15% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 8%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 3%

Students

Pomona Swarthmore
% In-State 24% 10%
% Out-of-State 55% 75%

Campus

Pomona 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

  • Pomona College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,716 students vs. 1,625 students)

Pomona vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pomona or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 0.2% more expensive to attend than Pomona for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,818.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at Swarthmore than Pomona College ($58,928.00 vs. $58,818.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pomona College than Swarthmore ($19,962 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 7.4% lower than costs at Pomona College ($18,026 vs. $19,358)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Pomona College (63% vs. 47%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pomona College students is 21.3% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($57,848 vs. $47,703)

Pomona vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Pomona College (1435) is 4 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Pomona students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Pomona (3.89)
  • Pomona has a higher acceptance rate (7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Pomona vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pomona 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 Pomona.

  • The graduation rate at Pomona is the same as at Swarthmore College (95% vs. 95%)
  • Graduates from Pomona College earn on average $4,700 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($70,500 vs. $65,800)
  • Pomona College students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($11,000 vs. $19,500)
  • Pomona graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($113 vs. $201)

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