Swarthmore vs Rice University

Swarthmore College and Rice University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Swarthmore, a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 8.4%, while Rice, a research university in Texas, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 10.1%. Both institutions are known for their academic rigor, but they differ in their course offerings. Swarthmore emphasizes interdisciplinary studies, while Rice offers a broader range of majors, including engineering and architecture. Additionally, Swarthmore's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and students of color compared to Rice. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life.

	Rice University	Swarthmore College
Overview
Location	Houston, Texas	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 and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	97.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	9.5%	7.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85	$60
SAT range	1490 - 1570	1430 - 1560
ACT range	34 - 35	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	46.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	29.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	29,544	13,012
Total number of admissions given out	2,802	1,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,226	454
Yield rate	43.8%	44.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$71,745	$75,793
Average net price	$18,521	$19,733
Tuition	$52,070	$55,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,100 Meal plan: $4,700	Room/dormitory: $8,796 Meal plan: $8,354
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	61.0% Average amount $51,036	76.0% Average amount $40,072
Students receiving federal student loan	9.0% Average amount $4,982	6.0% Average amount $5,191
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $24,340	1.0% Average amount $30,543

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,247 Men 51.5% Women 48.5%	1,651 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students	4,038 Men 63.9% Women 36.1%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	56.1%	89.9%
International students	25.5%	15.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	3,533	1,605
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Texas California New York Florida Illinois	New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Social Sciences Physical Science	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.3%	94.1%
Dropout rate	6.9%	5.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $122,770 Year 2: $129,481 Year 3: $145,256 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $128,659 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $134,258 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,801 Year 2: $83,915 Year 3: $92,763 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $87,989 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $81,590 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,400 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $76,594 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: $61,295 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $59,421 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,232 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $52,284 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,009 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $46,363 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,474 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $45,615	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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