Centre College vs Swarthmore
Centre College and Swarthmore College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Centre, nestled in the heart of Kentucky, boasts a close-knit community and a strong focus on undergraduate research. Swarthmore, located just outside Philadelphia, is renowned for its rigorous academics and commitment to social justice. With acceptance rates of 58% and 11%, respectively, these colleges attract high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds. While Centre's popular majors include business, biology, and psychology, Swarthmore excels in engineering, economics, and political science. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' student demographics, graduation rates, and other key differences, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
|
![]() Centre College |
![]() Swarthmore College |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Danville, Kentucky | Swarthmore, Pennsylvania |
Campus setting | Town: Distant | Suburb: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | 4-1-4 | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate | Undergraduate |
Students retention rate | 89.0% | 95.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | Presbyterian | |
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 68.0% | 7.8% |
Application fees | $60 | |
SAT range | 1235 - 1465 | 1430 - 1560 |
ACT range | 27 - 33 | 33 - 35 |
Students submitting SAT score | 6.0% | 39.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 55.0% | 21.0% |
Total number of applicants | 2,567 | 13,012 |
Total number of admissions given out | 1,745 | 1,013 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 377 | 454 |
Yield rate | 21.6% | 44.8% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Not required |
Recommendation letters | Required | Required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Not required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price | $59,000 | $75,793 |
Average net price | $22,470 | $19,733 |
Tuition | $46,000 | $55,856 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$5,850
Meal plan:
$5,850
|
Room/dormitory:
$8,796
Meal plan:
$8,354
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
100.0%
Average amount $36,138 |
76.0%
Average amount $40,072 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
54.0%
Average amount $5,347 |
6.0%
Average amount $5,191 |
Students taking out private loans |
6.0%
Average amount $12,531 |
1.0%
Average amount $30,543 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
1,320
Men 48.2% Women 51.8% |
1,651
Men 49.7% Women 50.3% |
Graduate students | N/A | N/A |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Moderate
|
Out-of-state students | N/A | 89.9% |
International students | 4.2% | 15.4% |
Campus local/setting | Town: Distant | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 1,368 | 1,605 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | Yes |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Tennessee Ohio Mississippi Georgia | New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 86.4% | 94.1% |
Dropout rate | 13.6% | 5.7% |
Transferred out | N/A | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Sociology and Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees)
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
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)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.










































































































































































































































































