Sarah Lawrence vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Sarah Lawrence College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Sarah Lawrence 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 Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown Penn Middlebury
Sarah Lawrence College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Sarah Lawrence College Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Sarah Lawrence College Swarthmore College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
Location Bronxville, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,696 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #132 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website slc.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $60,700 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $60,700 $58,928
Room & Board $16,780 $18,026
Avg Net Price $42,781 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $33,957 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 63%

Admission

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,186 14,707
Admitted 2,587 1,019
Acceptance Rate 49.9% 6.9%
Enrolled % 14.8% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/33 32/35
SAT Range 1260/1450 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 15, 2024 Jan 4, 2024

Academics

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 70% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,100 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,500 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $139 $201

Diversity

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
% Men 20% 49%
% Women 80% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 42%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 8%
% International 13% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 3%

Students

Sarah Lawrence Swarthmore
% In-State 18% 10%
% Out-of-State 76% 75%

Campus

Sarah Lawrence 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

  • Sarah Lawrence College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,696 students vs. 1,625 students)

Sarah Lawrence vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sarah Lawrence or Swarthmore?

  • Sarah Lawrence College is 3% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($60,700.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3% higher at Sarah Lawrence than Swarthmore College ($60,700.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Sarah Lawrence ($20,715 vs. $42,781)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sarah Lawrence College are 7.4% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,780 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sarah Lawrence College than Swarthmore College (87% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 40.5% larger than aid received Sarah Lawrence College ($47,703 vs. $33,957)

Sarah Lawrence vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Sarah Lawrence (3.75)
  • Sarah Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (49.9%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Sarah Lawrence vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Sarah Lawrence 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 Sarah Lawrence.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Sarah Lawrence College (95% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $21,700 more per year than Sarah Lawrence graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $44,100)
  • Sarah Lawrence College students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($13,500 vs. $19,500)
  • Sarah Lawrence graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($139 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sarah Lawrence students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

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