<p>Guest15 - PhD production and the depth/ breadth of scholarships won by graduates are important proxies for educational quality, as is acceptance into top-ranked professional programs. Something powerful is clearly going at Swarthmore from an academic perspective that makes it, in my mind, quite distinctive and of extraordinarily high quality.</p>
<p>GondalineNJ - I take your point on the PayScale data. However, I have issues with the quality of their data collection, and thus always view their conclusions with some skepticism. Also, I view the WSJ survey similarly.</p>
<p>Circuit rider - SAT scores are an input measure. Assuming Tufts and Swarthmore are similarly qualified academically on entrance, something happens at Swat - call it the “production function” - a combination of academic program, rigor, high standards, small classes, resources, etc. to its students that results in much better outcomes. These outcomes are not just better than Tufts. They are better than nearly every college and university in the US.</p>