Ursinus College vs Swarthmore

Ursinus College and Swarthmore College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Ursinus, a liberal arts college with a close-knit community, boasts a 73% acceptance rate and a 79% graduation rate. Swarthmore, a highly selective liberal arts college known for its rigorous academics, has a 10% acceptance rate and a 93% graduation rate. While Ursinus students commonly pursue majors in Business, Biology, and Psychology, Swarthmore students often choose majors in Engineering, Economics, and Political Science. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences between these two exceptional colleges and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Swarthmore College logo

Swarthmore College

Ursinus College logo

Ursinus College

Overview

Location Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 7.8% 82.7%
Application fees $60
SAT range 1430 - 1560 1200 - 1360
ACT range 33 - 35 27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 39.0% 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 9.0%
Total number of applicants 13,012 3,818
Total number of admissions given out 1,013 3,158
Admitted students who chose to enroll 454 433
Yield rate 44.8% 13.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,793 $73,982
Average net price $19,733 $31,438
Tuition $55,856 $56,600
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,796

Meal plan: $8,354
Room/dormitory: $9,230

Meal plan: $4,830
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

76.0%
Average amount $40,072
100.0%
Average amount $39,622
Students receiving federal student loan 6.0%
Average amount $5,191
69.0%
Average amount $5,630
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $30,543
16.0%
Average amount $18,143

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,651
Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
1,556
Men 52.2% Women 47.8%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 89.9% 42.4%
International students 15.4% 0.9%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,605 1,510
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland New York Connecticut

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • English Language and Literature
  • Physical Science
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 94.1% 72.5%
Dropout rate 5.7% 27.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,897
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $113,966
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,029
  • Year 2: $81,702
  • Year 3: $88,391
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,119
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $44,841
Education, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $42,944
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,425
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $36,220
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,963
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,964
  • Year 2: $125,015
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,186
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $61,215
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,137
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $48,478
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,123
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $40,114
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,195
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $38,857
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,243
  • Year 2: $26,933
  • Year 3: $37,740
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,345
  • Year 2: $27,439
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $67,995
  • Year 3: N/A
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,847
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,394
  • Year 2: $36,668
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,582
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: N/A

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