Swarthmore College vs Williams College: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Swarthmore College is the more selective of the two, admitting 7.5% of applicants versus 8.6% at Williams College. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,890 per year at Swarthmore College versus $10,196 at Williams College. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1480–1550 at Swarthmore College and 1490–1550 at Williams College.

Swarthmore College vs Williams College: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricSwarthmore CollegeWilliams College
Overall acceptance rate7.5%8.6%
Early acceptance rate17.8%26.6%
SAT middle 50%1480–15501490–1550
Avg unweighted GPA3.93.93
Yield rate43.6%42.4%
Class size426567
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$9,890$10,196
Net price, over $110,000 income$42,345$41,974

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2025–26 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Swarthmore College harder to get into than Williams College?

Yes. Swarthmore College admits 7.5% of applicants, compared with 8.6% at Williams College, making it the harder school to get into, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Swarthmore College or Williams College?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,890 per year at Swarthmore College and $10,196 at Williams College, so Swarthmore College is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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