<p>The Washington Monthy “social mobility score” is even more of a joke than USNEW’s predicted graduation rate. Washington Monthly assigned a predicted graduation rate for each school based on percentage of Pell Grant recipients and then ranked the schools based on how their overall graduation rate compared to this prediction.</p>
<p>By any statistical measure, the two schools have roughly the same socio-economic distribution (a bit surprising given that Swat’s median SATs are 40 points higher):</p>
<p>% students receiving need-based aid
Swat: 48%
Wes: 48%</p>
<p>% freshmen receiving need-based aid
Swat: 53%
Wes: 47%</p>
<p>% Pell Grant
Swat: 12%
Wes: 13%</p>
<p>Freshman retention rate:
Swat: 96%
Wes: 95%</p>
<p>6-year graduation rate:
Swat: 91%
West: 92%</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The per student endowment directly effects per student spending. Based on their 2004 year-end financial statements, Wesleyan spent $55,000 per student (inc. financial aid). Swarthmore spent $78,967 per student (inc. finanical aid). </p>
<p>Thus, a student paying the same price at each school will actually be getting $24,000 more for their money at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>The difference may actually be somewhat larger for undergrads since 20+% of Wesleyan’s students are grad students, typically with higher per student expenditures than for undergrads.</p>