West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA) vs Swarthmore

West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. West Chester, a public university, boasts an acceptance rate of 79%, while Swarthmore, a private liberal arts college, has a highly selective acceptance rate of 11%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with West Chester excelling in fields like Business, Education, and Nursing, and Swarthmore excelling in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. While West Chester's student body is predominantly composed of Pennsylvania residents, Swarthmore attracts a more international student population. With graduation rates of 62% and 94% respectively, both universities prioritize student success, though Swarthmore's smaller class sizes and extensive resources may contribute to its higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Swarthmore College logo

Swarthmore College

West Chester University of Pennsylvania logo

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Overview

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

Admission

Acceptance rate 7.8% 89.4%
Application fees $60
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1430 - 1560 1070 - 1250
ACT range 33 - 35 23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 39.0% 27.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 1.0%
Total number of applicants 13,012 14,020
Total number of admissions given out 1,013 12,528
Admitted students who chose to enroll 454 2,628
Yield rate 44.8% 21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,793
In state: $28,419

Out of state: $40,243
Average net price $19,733 $14,133
Tuition $55,856
In state: $7,716

Out of state: $19,290
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,796

Meal plan: $8,354
Room/dormitory: $5,794

Meal plan: $3,700
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 $4,607
Students receiving federal student loan 6.0%
Average amount $5,191
51.0%
Average amount $5,238
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $30,543
11.0%
Average amount $11,835

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,651
Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
14,471
Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Graduate students N/A 3,143
Men 31.7% Women 68.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 89.9% 11.4%
International students 15.4% 0.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,605 5,128
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 Delaware Maryland New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 94.1% 72.8%
Dropout rate 5.7% 7.6%
Transferred out N/A 18.4%
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
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,514
  • Year 2: $91,211
  • Year 3: $102,513
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,034
  • Year 2: $70,863
  • Year 3: $83,078
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,346
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $74,076
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,184
  • Year 2: $59,253
  • Year 3: $67,374
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,978
  • Year 2: $57,589
  • Year 3: $65,537
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,367
  • Year 2: $53,508
  • Year 3: $61,456
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,396
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $58,904
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,608
  • Year 3: $57,532
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,096
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: $56,740
Music (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $56,355

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