North Central vs Swarthmore
North Central College and Swarthmore College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, a private liberal arts college in Naperville, Illinois, boasts a 75% acceptance rate, while Swarthmore, a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, has a highly selective 11% acceptance rate. North Central's student body is predominantly White (73%) and female (60%), while Swarthmore's student body is more diverse, with a larger percentage of international students (13%) and a more even gender distribution (51% female, 49% male). Both colleges offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at North Central including Business Administration, Nursing, and Elementary Education, and popular majors at Swarthmore including Engineering, Economics, and Political Science. With graduation rates of 68% and 93% respectively, both colleges provide students with the opportunity to succeed and
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![]() North Central College |
![]() Swarthmore College |
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Overview |
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Location | Naperville, Illinois | Swarthmore, Pennsylvania |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate |
Students retention rate | 77.0% | 95.0% |
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Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | |
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 68.4% | 7.8% |
Application fees | $25 | $60 |
SAT range | 1030 - 1230 | 1430 - 1560 |
ACT range | 22 - 28 | 33 - 35 |
Students submitting SAT score | 43.0% | 39.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 17.0% | 21.0% |
Total number of applicants | 4,551 | 13,012 |
Total number of admissions given out | 3,113 | 1,013 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 512 | 454 |
Yield rate | 16.4% | 44.8% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Not required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Not required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $61,098 | $75,793 |
Average net price | $26,207 | $19,733 |
Tuition | $42,026 | $55,856 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$7,998
Meal plan:
$3,890
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Room/dormitory:
$8,796
Meal plan:
$8,354
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Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
100.0%
Average amount $28,670 |
76.0%
Average amount $40,072 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
60.0%
Average amount $5,156 |
6.0%
Average amount $5,191 |
Students taking out private loans |
25.0%
Average amount $6,992 |
1.0%
Average amount $30,543 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
2,404
Men 48.4% Women 51.6% |
1,651
Men 49.7% Women 50.3% |
Graduate students |
324
Men 29.3% Women 70.7% |
N/A |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
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Moderate
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Out-of-state students | 26.8% | 89.9% |
International students | 3.7% | 15.4% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 1,333 | 1,605 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | Yes |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan | New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 13:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 64.4% | 94.1% |
Dropout rate | 35.1% | 5.7% |
Transferred out | N/A | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
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Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
Education, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
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