Swarthmore vs Oberlin College

Swarthmore College and Oberlin College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Swarthmore, located in Pennsylvania, boasts a lower acceptance rate (10%) compared to Oberlin's (32%), indicating its highly selective admissions process. Swarthmore students predominantly pursue majors in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields, while Oberlin students have a wider range of options, including a renowned conservatory of music. Swarthmore's student body is slightly smaller and more diverse than Oberlin's, with a higher percentage of international students. Oberlin, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional colleges. Explore the table to discover which institution better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Oberlin College	Swarthmore College
Overview
Location	Oberlin, Ohio	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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 and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	34.3%	7.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $100 Graduate: $100	$60
SAT range	1338 - 1460	1430 - 1560
ACT range	30 - 34	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	34.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	10,597	13,012
Total number of admissions given out	3,639	1,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	864	454
Yield rate	23.7%	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	$73,914	$75,793
Average net price	$44,689	$19,733
Tuition	$59,384	$55,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,858 Meal plan: $8,996	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)	93.0% Average amount $34,607	76.0% Average amount $40,072
Students receiving federal student loan	34.0% Average amount $5,142	6.0% Average amount $5,191
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $4,519	1.0% Average amount $30,543

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,942 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	1,651 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students	11 Men 72.7% Women 27.3%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	89.9%
International students	11.1%	15.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,694	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	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.3%	94.1%
Dropout rate	17.3%	5.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,028 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $101,858 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,721 Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: $56,067 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,275 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $32,173 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,045 Year 3: $28,960 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,436 Year 2: $16,345 Year 3: $26,082 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: $22,024 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,910 Year 2: $19,531 Year 3: $19,799 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,902 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,622 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,992 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 Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Swarthmore College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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