What makes Swarthmore different
- Room to explore first. First-semester grades are essentially pass/fail, so new students can try fields widely.
- Funded research. Swarthmore spends more than $800,000 a year on undergraduate research.
- Tri-College and Penn. Students can take classes at Bryn Mawr and Haverford and cross-register at the University of Pennsylvania.
What Swarthmore students study
The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): economics (57), computer and information sciences (56), mathematics (29), engineering (29), psychology (23) and political science (22). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.
You may thrive at Swarthmore if…
- You love ideas and conversation in and out of class.
- You want a small college with easy access to Philadelphia.
- You'd like to do research or creative work with faculty.
Worth asking about
- How does pass/fail work in the first semester?
- How do students use the Tri-College Consortium?
How Swarthmore compares with other liberal arts colleges
Swarthmore admitted 7.5% of applicants for fall 2024, one of the lower rates in this group. See how these 20 liberal arts colleges compare.
FAQ
What is Swarthmore College's acceptance rate? 7.5% for fall 2024: 975 of 13,065 applicants were admitted.
Does Swarthmore have early decision? Yes. Swarthmore offers binding early decision. It also accepts the Common App, Coalition on Scoir and QuestBridge applications with no preference. Source
Does Swarthmore require the SAT or ACT? No. Swarthmore is test-optional. This applies to students applying in 2026–27 for fall 2027. Source
Does Swarthmore charge out-of-state tuition? No. Swarthmore is private, so published tuition and fees are the same for students from any state: $65,494 a year before aid. About 76% of first-year students came from outside Pennsylvania.
How much is Swarthmore tuition per semester? About $32,747 a semester, half the published $65,494 a year, before aid.
How many students go to Swarthmore? About 1,600 undergraduates (fall 2024).
What is Swarthmore known for? Its intellectual culture, Quaker roots and arboretum campus near Philadelphia.
How much does Swarthmore cost? Published tuition and fees are $65,494 a year before aid, and the total cost of attendance is $84,103. Students who received aid paid $21,595 a year on average.
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