Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Swarthmore College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | CMCClaremont, CA | Harvey MuddClaremont, CA | SwarthmoreSwarthmore, PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 9.6% | 12.7% | 7.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1470–1560 | 1500–1570 | 1490–1560 |
| Average net price | $28,84918.1% on Pell grants | $35,92415.2% on Pell grants | $23,14919.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $67,980Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $68,613Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $65,494Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 91.4% | 91.9% | 92.3% |
| First-year retention | 98.1% | 96.4% | 94.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 18.1% | 15.2% | 19.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $104,736 | $138,687 | $80,257 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,500 | $25,000 | $17,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 8:1 | 8:1 | 8:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,388 | 921 | 1,613 |
| Consensus percentile | 3Lower is better | 6Lower is better | 3Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 4 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 16 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 6 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | CMC | Harvey Mudd | Swarthmore |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #8 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #12 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #3 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | #26 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #84 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #23 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #46 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #48 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #33 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #5 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #20 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #35 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #24 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #15 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #35 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Claremont McKenna College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Harvey Mudd College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Swarthmore College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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