Swarthmore vs Hillsdale College

Swarthmore College and Hillsdale College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer contrasting educational experiences. Swarthmore, a highly selective liberal arts college, boasts an acceptance rate of 10%, while Hillsdale, a private Christian college, maintains a more accessible 60% acceptance rate. Swarthmore's student body is diverse, with 48% identifying as students of color, compared to Hillsdale's predominantly white student population. Both colleges excel in academics, with Swarthmore's graduates achieving a 94% graduation rate and Hillsdale's graduates reaching a 90% graduation rate. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Hillsdale College	Swarthmore College
Overview
Location	Hillsdale, Michigan	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	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	94.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	23.7%	7.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $25	$60
SAT range	1340 - 1510	1430 - 1560
ACT range	30 - 34	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	22.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	38.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	2,994	13,012
Total number of admissions given out	709	1,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	397	454
Yield rate	56.0%	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)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$45,382	$75,793
Average net price	$24,057	$19,733
Tuition	$28,730	$55,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,020 Meal plan: $6,120	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)	100.0% Average amount $20,535	76.0% Average amount $40,072
Students receiving federal student loan	0.0% Average amount $0	6.0% Average amount $5,191
Students taking out private loans	34.0% Average amount $10,497	1.0% Average amount $30,543

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,515 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	1,651 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students	87 Men 67.8% Women 32.2%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	N/A	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	89.9%
International students	N/A	15.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,124	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	Business Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	87.6%	94.1%
Dropout rate	8.3%	5.7%
Transferred out	3.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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 Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College

Swarthmore College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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