Swarthmore vs Franklin and Marshall College (FandM)

Swarthmore College and Franklin and Marshall College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Swarthmore, with its highly selective admissions process (acceptance rate of 8.5%), boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on social justice. Franklin and Marshall, with a slightly higher acceptance rate (28.6%), offers a more traditional liberal arts curriculum and a vibrant Greek life. While Swarthmore excels in STEM fields and social sciences, Franklin and Marshall is known for its business and pre-professional programs. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Swarthmore's at 94% and Franklin and Marshall's at 88%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Franklin and Marshall College	Swarthmore College
Overview
Location	Lancaster, Pennsylvania	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	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%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	37.5%	7.8%
Application fees	$60	$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	7,720	13,012
Total number of admissions given out	2,898	1,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	510	454
Yield rate	17.6%	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	$80,618	$75,793
Average net price	$26,316	$19,733
Tuition	$63,216	$55,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,722 Meal plan: $6,018	Room/dormitory: $8,796 Meal plan: $8,354
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	62.0% Average amount $50,026	76.0% Average amount $40,072
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $4,947	6.0% Average amount $5,191
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,505	1.0% Average amount $30,543

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,145 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%	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	18.2%	15.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,272	1,605
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Physical Science Ethnic Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.8%	94.1%
Dropout rate	2.0%	5.7%
Transferred out	13.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,518 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $67,095 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,376 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $59,284 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,518 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,220 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $50,175 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,598 Year 2: $41,441 Year 3: $49,088 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,421 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $48,325 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $44,196 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,487 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $42,722 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A	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

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Swarthmore vs Franklin and Marshall College (FandM)

Franklin and Marshall College

Swarthmore College

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Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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