Swarthmore College is the more selective of the two, admitting 7.5% of applicants versus 11.1% at Carnegie Mellon University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $22,744 per year at Carnegie Mellon University versus $9,890 at Swarthmore College. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1500–1560 at Carnegie Mellon University and 1480–1550 at Swarthmore College.
| Metric | Carnegie Mellon University | Swarthmore College |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 11.1% | 7.5% |
| Early acceptance rate | 20.6% | 17.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1500–1560 | 1480–1550 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.91 | 3.9 |
| Yield rate | 47.0% | 43.6% |
| Class size | 1,804 | 426 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $22,744 | $9,890 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $45,428 | $42,345 |
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.
No. Swarthmore College is more selective: it admits 7.5% of applicants, versus 11.1% at Carnegie Mellon University, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $22,744 per year at Carnegie Mellon University 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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