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

Amherst College and Swarthmore College are about equally selective, admitting 7.7% and 7.0% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,659 per year at Amherst College versus $9,890 at Swarthmore College. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1500–1560 at Amherst College and 1500–1550 at Swarthmore College.

Amherst College vs Swarthmore College: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricAmherst CollegeSwarthmore College
Overall acceptance rate7.7%7.0%
Early acceptance rate22.2%18.0%
SAT middle 50%1500–15601500–1550
Avg unweighted GPA3.923.9
Yield rate40.0%44.0%
Class size480427
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$11,659$9,890
Net price, over $110,000 income$43,908$42,345

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 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 Amherst College harder to get into than Swarthmore College?

The two are about equally selective: Amherst College admits 7.7% of applicants and Swarthmore College admits 7.0%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

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

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,659 per year at Amherst College and $9,890 at Swarthmore 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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