Swarthmore vs. Whitman College

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

Swarthmore Whitman College
Location Swarthmore, PA Walla Walla, WA
Setting Large Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 1,625 1,493
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40 #84
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu whitman.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Swarthmore Whitman College
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $58,200
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $58,200
Room & Board $18,026 $14,220
Avg Net Price $20,715 $39,935
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $32,047
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 94%

Admission

Swarthmore Whitman College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 5,497
Admitted 1,019 2,622
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 47.7%
Enrolled % 42.5% 12.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 32/35 30/33
SAT Range 1440/1560 1293/1473
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 Whitman College
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Physical Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

Swarthmore Whitman College
Graduation Rate 95% 86%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 93%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $17,500
Median Loan Payment $201 $180

Diversity

Swarthmore Whitman College
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 42% 72%
% Black 6% 1%
% Hispanic 13% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 11% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

Swarthmore Whitman College
% In-State 10% 27%
% Out-of-State 75% 59%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Whitman College based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 1,493 students)

Swarthmore vs. Whitman College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or Whitman College?

  • Swarthmore College is 1.3% more expensive to attend than Whitman College for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,200.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.3% higher at Swarthmore than Whitman College ($58,928.00 vs. $58,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Whitman College ($20,715 vs. $39,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whitman College are 26.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,220 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whitman College than Swarthmore College (94% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 48.9% larger than aid received Whitman College ($47,703 vs. $32,047)

Swarthmore vs. Whitman College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 117 points higher than at Whitman College (1314)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Whitman College (30)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Whitman College (3.68)
  • Whitman College has a higher acceptance rate (47.7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Swarthmore vs. Whitman College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Swarthmore or Whitman College? 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 Whitman College and Swarthmore.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Whitman College (95% vs. 86%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $8,900 more per year than Whitman College graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $56,900)
  • Whitman College students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($17,500 vs. $19,500)
  • Whitman College graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($180 vs. $201)
  • More Whitman College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (93% vs. 87%)

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