Swarthmore College
About
Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeducational colleges in the United States. It was established as a college under the Religious Society of Friends. By 1906, Swarthmore had dropped its religious affiliation and officially became non-sectarian.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 49 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 44 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing5 · 10.2%
- No Data44 · 89.8%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Action history · 2
- Jan 2021Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Jun 2019Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 415 students received $2.6M in Pell grants, alongside $3.4M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 121 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Swarthmore College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus8
Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- National origin5
- Ethnicity1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Swarthmore College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Swarthmore College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSwarthmore College | 92% | — | 1,623 | $23,149 | Baccalaureate |
| 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $23,367 | Baccalaureate | |
| 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $14,398 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,314 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $31,483 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,285 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 29.2% | 2,238 | $34,832 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $30,177 | Baccalaureate | |
| 94% | 8.3% | 2,164 | $17,716 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 92% | 12.4% | 2,021 | $24,341 |
Institutions like Swarthmore College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Swarthmore College's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Amherst College
Grad rate94%Admit rate9.0%Enrollment1,914Net price$23,367View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bowdoin College
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,881Net price$14,398View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Carleton College
Grad rate90%Admit rate20.4%Enrollment2,128Net price$25,407View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Haverford College
Grad rate90%Admit rate12.4%Enrollment1,431Net price$25,314View data - BaccalaureateVermont
Middlebury College
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.7%Enrollment2,803Net price$31,483View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Oberlin College
Grad rate81%Admit rate34.2%Enrollment2,909Net price$38,645View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Pomona College
Grad rate93%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,700Net price$19,285View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Trinity College
Grad rate84%Admit rate29.2%Enrollment2,238Net price$34,832View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Wesleyan University
Grad rate93%Admit rate16.5%Enrollment4,011Net price$30,177View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Williams College
Grad rate94%Admit rate8.3%Enrollment2,164Net price$17,716View data
Swarthmore College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Assessment conducts research to support planning, decision making, and assessment across campus.
Visit IR office page- Robin Huntington ShoresAssistant VP for Institutional Effectiveness and Assistant Secretary of the College
- Pamela Borkowski-ValentinDirector of Institutional Research
Common Data Set
Swarthmore College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I360% of classes have under 20 students; 2% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~35% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D1128 transfer applicants → 83 admitted (64.8%) → 35 enrolled
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data dictionaryInstitutional Research :: Swarthmore College2023The Office of Institutional Research at Swarthmore College conducts research to support planning, decision making, and assessment across the campus. Their work portfolio includes internal assessment support, informing on trends, conducting specialized studies, and supporting the college's planning efforts. For external audiences, the office provides basic statistics about the college, coordinates data collections for external reporting needs, and fulfills reporting mandates to state and federal governments. The office also liaises with educational consortia and provides leadership for accreditation review cycles.swarthmore.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFact Book :: Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Assessment :: Swarthmore College2023The Fact Book of Swarthmore College provides comprehensive and historic information, serving as a reference for both internal and external audiences. It includes updated tables and details on enrollment, admissions, academic programs, faculty statistics, financial information, and more. Note that some internal numbers may differ from federally mandated external reports.swarthmore.edu
- Strategic planSwarthmore Forward: A Plan for Our Future2026Swarthmore Forward is a strategic plan launched by Swarthmore College in Spring 2024, focusing on holistic student development by integrating academic excellence with personal growth and civic engagement. It aims to enhance the liberal arts education through curriculum review, support student access to high-impact experiences, and prioritize health and wellness in a multicultural context. The plan also includes a significant focus on renewing campus infrastructure, aligning with sustainability goals, and fostering an inclusive community.swarthmore.edu
Notable alumni of Swarthmore College (26)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- David BaltimoreScience and Technology
- Christina PaxsonAcademia
- Detlev BronkAcademia
- Clark KerrAcademia
- Howard Martin TeminScience and Technology
- Edward C. PrescottEconomics
- John C. MatherScience and Technology
- Jonathan FranzenLiterature
- James A. MichenerLiterature
- Alice PaulPhilanthropy and Activism
- Sally RideScience and Technology
- Michael DukakisPolitics
Frequently asked questions about Swarthmore College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Swarthmore College.
What is the graduation rate at Swarthmore College?
How many students attend Swarthmore College?
What is the average net price at Swarthmore College?
What is the yield rate at Swarthmore College?
Where is Swarthmore College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Swarthmore College?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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