Wheaton College vs Swarthmore

Nestled in the heart of Illinois, Wheaton College and Swarthmore College, located in Pennsylvania, stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and fostering intellectual growth, they offer unique experiences that cater to different student aspirations. Wheaton College, rooted in its Christian heritage, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong emphasis on faith-based learning. Swarthmore College, on the other hand, prides itself on its liberal arts tradition, encouraging critical thinking and social responsibility. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the nuances that set these two colleges apart, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic pursuits, personal values, and future aspirations.

	Swarthmore College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: 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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	95.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	7.8%	86.3%
Application fees	$60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1430 - 1560	1250 - 1430
ACT range	33 - 35	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	13,012	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	1,013	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	454	546
Yield rate	44.8%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$75,793	$54,700
Average net price	$19,733	$28,319
Tuition	$55,856	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,796 Meal plan: $8,354	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $40,072	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,191	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $30,543	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,651 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	N/A	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	89.9%	N/A
International students	15.4%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,605	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Pennsylvania New Jersey Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	94.1%	87.6%
Dropout rate	5.7%	3.1%
Transferred out	N/A	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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