Rhodes College vs Swarthmore

Rhodes College and Swarthmore College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Rhodes, nestled in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, boasts a vibrant campus and a diverse student body. Swarthmore, located in the suburban town of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, is known for its rigorous academics and its commitment to social justice. With acceptance rates of 49% and 11%, respectively, both colleges are highly selective. Rhodes students commonly pursue majors in business, psychology, and biology, while Swarthmore students often choose engineering, economics, and political science. While Rhodes graduates enjoy a 91% placement rate within six months of graduation, Swarthmore boasts a 98% placement rate. 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.

	Rhodes College	Swarthmore College
Overview
Location	Memphis, Tennessee	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	94.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	56.9%	7.8%
Application fees	$25	$60
SAT range	1330 - 1490	1430 - 1560
ACT range	28 - 32	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	32.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	5,318	13,012
Total number of admissions given out	3,025	1,013
Admitted students who chose to enroll	592	454
Yield rate	19.6%	44.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,588	$75,793
Average net price	$30,525	$19,733
Tuition	$50,600	$55,856
Room & board	$11,934	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)	97.0% Average amount $35,607	76.0% Average amount $40,072
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $5,289	6.0% Average amount $5,191
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $23,867	1.0% Average amount $30,543

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,050 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	1,651 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students	23 Men 39.1% Women 60.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	89.9%
International students	6.4%	15.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,451	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	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Physical Science Computer and Information Science Education	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Social Sciences Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	85.4%	94.1%
Dropout rate	1.2%	5.7%
Transferred out	13.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,805 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $68,990 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,921 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $63,065 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $59,878 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,918 Year 2: $43,128 Year 3: $47,480 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,668 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $36,010 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,132 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: $35,649 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,837 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,208 Year 2: $21,234 Year 3: N/A Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 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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Rhodes College vs Swarthmore

Rhodes College

Swarthmore College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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