Liberal arts college
#11 Best small colleges in AmericaSwarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $23,149 a year
Median debt at graduation: $17,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#2 of 1,046
- Best colleges for education in America#14 of 1,318
- Best small colleges in America#11 of 906
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#17 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#33 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#29 of 1,481
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- Best colleges for psychology in America#28 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#29 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#27 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#32 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#32 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#32 of 1,215
- Best colleges for music in America#29 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#32 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#32 of 1,116
- Most selective colleges in America#20 of 683
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#21 of 704
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#55 of 1,829
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#14 of 430
- Best colleges for engineering in America#25 of 749
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#27 of 690
- Best colleges for economics in America#32 of 788
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#37 of 704
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#50 of 682
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#29 of 239
- Best colleges in the Philadelphia area#5 of 41
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#95 of 684
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#101 of 693
- Best value colleges in America#100 of 674
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#90 of 598
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
In Pennsylvania
- Best colleges for education in Pennsylvania#2 of 85
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Pennsylvania#2 of 82
- Best colleges for psychology in Pennsylvania#3 of 105
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Pennsylvania#3 of 98
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Best value colleges in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
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- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Pennsylvania#3 of 90
- Best colleges in Pennsylvania#4 of 118
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Pennsylvania#4 of 118
- Best colleges for English in Pennsylvania#3 of 87
- Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania#2 of 57
- Best test-optional colleges in Pennsylvania#4 of 113
- Best colleges for history in Pennsylvania#3 of 80
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Pennsylvania#3 of 80
- Best colleges for chemistry in Pennsylvania#3 of 77
- Best colleges for mathematics in Pennsylvania#3 of 77
- Best colleges for art and design in Pennsylvania#3 of 74
- Best small colleges in Pennsylvania#3 of 69
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Pennsylvania#3 of 62
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Pennsylvania#3 of 62
- Most selective colleges in Pennsylvania#3 of 60
- Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania#3 of 53
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Pennsylvania#4 of 54
- Best colleges for music in Pennsylvania#4 of 51
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Pennsylvania#5 of 62
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Pennsylvania#5 of 60
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Pennsylvania#14 of 60
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.94%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,534 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.7 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$46,961
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $84,103 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,644 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 27% |
| Total students | 1,644 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $23,149 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $84,103 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $17,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 92% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 86% |
| First-year retention | 94% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $80,257 |
| Admission rate | 7% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $60 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1534 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–770 |
| SAT math | 750–790 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Excellent · Top 15% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Economics | |
| Engineering (general) | |
| Political science | |
| Biology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Archeology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Chemistry, Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Criminology, Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis, Dance, Design, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Education (general), English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Film and video, Fine arts, General studies, Geology and earth science, Global studies, History, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Literature, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other education, Other english language and literature/letters, Other philosophy and religious studies, Other physical sciences, Other psychology, Other public administration and social service professions, Other social sciences, Other visual and performing arts, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Social sciences, Sociology, Sociology and Anthropology, Sustainability Studies, Theatre, Urban Studies/Affairs.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Engineering |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,308 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Centennial Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 7 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 94%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $1,656,717Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 96% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)About 6 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 6,5502020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PhiladelphiaAbout 14 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 35°F1991–2020 normal, from MARCUS HOOK, PA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 80°F1991–2020 normal, from MARCUS HOOK, PA US, about 7 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 1.85 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Swarthmore College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 2% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Swarthmore College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $23,149 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Swarthmore College?
- Swarthmore College admitted 7% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Swarthmore College’s graduates do?
- 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $80,257; the median federal debt at graduation is $17,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 216287
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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