Spelman College vs Swarthmore
Spelman College and Swarthmore College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Spelman, a historically Black women's college in Atlanta, Georgia, boasts a 58% acceptance rate and a student body that is 92% female and 8% male. Swarthmore, a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, has a more selective admissions process with a 10% acceptance rate and a gender distribution of 49% female and 51% male. While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Spelman is known for its strengths in the natural sciences and nursing, while Swarthmore is renowned for its engineering and computer science programs. With Spelman's graduation rate at 75% and Swarthmore's at 94%, both institutions are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations
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![]() Spelman College |
![]() Swarthmore College |
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Overview |
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Location | Atlanta, Georgia | Swarthmore, Pennsylvania |
Campus setting | City: 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 | 91.0% | 95.0% |
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Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 50.8% | 7.8% |
Application fees | $40 | $60 |
SAT range | N/A | 1430 - 1560 |
ACT range | N/A | 33 - 35 |
Students submitting SAT score | 39.0% | |
Students submitting ACT score | 21.0% | |
Total number of applicants | 11,176 | 13,012 |
Total number of admissions given out | 5,673 | 1,013 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 794 | 454 |
Yield rate | 14.0% | 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 |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $48,244 | $75,793 |
Average net price | $28,527 | $19,733 |
Tuition | $25,249 | $55,856 |
Room & board | $15,063 |
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) |
96.0%
Average amount $10,839 |
76.0%
Average amount $40,072 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
76.0%
Average amount $5,707 |
6.0%
Average amount $5,191 |
Students taking out private loans |
5.0%
Average amount $13,717 |
1.0%
Average amount $30,543 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
2,417
Men 0.0% Women 100.0% |
1,651
Men 49.7% Women 50.3% |
Graduate students | N/A | N/A |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Very Low
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Moderate
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Out-of-state students | 76.0% | 89.9% |
International students | 0.7% | 15.4% |
Campus local/setting | City: Large | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 1,401 | 1,605 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | Yes |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Georgia Maryland Texas California New York | 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 | 11:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 76.2% | 94.1% |
Dropout rate | 9.2% | 5.7% |
Transferred out | 13.7% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (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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