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Bowdoin College vs Swarthmore College

Odds, test scores, cost, aid and graduation rates, side by side from each school's own Common Data Set. Add more schools

BCBowdoin College7%admitted · 2025-26Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore College8%admitted · 2025-26

Getting in

Acceptance rate6.8%7.5%
Early decision rate14.9%17.8%
SAT middle 50%1470–15401480–1550
ACT middle 50%33–3533–35
Applicant reports on our site144252

Cost and aid

Tuition$71,070$68,766
Food and housing$19,560$21,466
Sticker price per year$91,300$90,692
Average need-based grant$70,186$74,043
Average % of need met100%100%

Outcomes

First-year retention97.6%98.1%
6-year graduation rate92.8%91.6%
Undergraduates1,8411,631

Best value in each row is highlighted. Sticker price uses out-of-state tuition for public universities and leaves out books, travel and aid. "—" means the school left the item blank in its Common Data Set.

Bowdoin College or Swarthmore College?

Is Bowdoin College harder to get into than Swarthmore College?

They are about equally selective: Bowdoin College admitted 6.8% of first-year applicants (2025-26) and Swarthmore College admitted 7.5% (2025-26).

What SAT scores do Bowdoin College and Swarthmore College students have?

The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1470–1540 at Bowdoin College and 1480–1550 at Swarthmore College.

Which is cheaper, Bowdoin College or Swarthmore College?

Before aid, Swarthmore College costs about $90,692 a year in tuition, fees, food and housing, against $91,300 at Bowdoin College (out-of-state tuition for public universities). The average need-based grant is $70,186 at Bowdoin College and $74,043 at Swarthmore College.

Does Bowdoin College or Swarthmore College have a higher graduation rate?

92.8% of Bowdoin College students graduate within six years, compared with 91.6% at Swarthmore College.

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