Swarthmore vs. Virginia Tech

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

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Location Swarthmore, PA Blacksburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,625 38,170
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #40 #142
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu vt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $12,104
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $31,754
Room & Board $18,026 $12,680
Avg Net Price $20,715 $19,301
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $7,649
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 57%

Admission

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 45,321
Admitted 1,019 25,825
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 57%
Enrolled % 42.5% 27.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.97
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 32/35 27/32
SAT Range 1440/1560 1240/1430
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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Graduation Rate 95% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $65,000
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $23,966
Median Loan Payment $201 $247

Diversity

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
% Men 49% 57%
% Women 51% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 42% 68%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 11% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
% In-State 10% 64%
% Out-of-State 75% 32%

Campus

Swarthmore Virginia Tech
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Tech is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (38,170 students vs. 1,625 students)

Swarthmore vs. Virginia Tech Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or Virginia Tech?

  • Swarthmore College is 386.8% more expensive to attend than Virginia Tech for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $12,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 85.6% higher at Swarthmore than Virginia Tech ($58,928.00 vs. $31,754.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Tech than Swarthmore ($19,301 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Tech are 42.2% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,680 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Virginia Tech (63% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 523.7% larger than aid received Virginia Tech ($47,703 vs. $7,649)

Swarthmore vs. Virginia Tech Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 221 points higher than at Virginia Tech (1210)
  • Accepted freshman Virginia Tech students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • Virginia Tech has a higher acceptance rate (57%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Swarthmore vs. Virginia Tech Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Swarthmore or Virginia Tech? 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 Virginia Tech and Swarthmore.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Virginia Tech (95% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $800 more per year than Virginia Tech graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $65,000)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $4,466 lower median federal student loan debt than Virginia Tech graduates. ($19,500 vs. $23,966)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than Virginia Tech graduates. ($201 vs. $247)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Virginia Tech students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 81%)

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