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Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081 | (610) 328-8000
Swarthmore, PA | (610) 328-8000
Overview of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private institution that was founded in 1864. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,594, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 425 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Swarthmore College's ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #3. Its tuition and fees are $54,656.
Swarthmore College is located 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia – far enough away to have a 425-acre campus that is designated as an arboretum. The school was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), but has no religious affiliation today. The school has more than 100 organizations that students can get involved in on campus, and about 40 percent of students study abroad. Swarthmore has about 20 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams cheered on by mascot Phineas the Phoenix. Its Greek life is limited to two fraternities and one sorority. Although only freshmen are required to live on campus, less than 10 percent of students live off campus.
Swarthmore College students can take courses at Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College through the Tri-College Consortium. Unlike most other liberal arts colleges, Swarthmore also offers an undergraduate engineering program. Swarthmore has many unique traditions, including the Crum Regatta, where students race homemade boats down Crum Creek; and Worthstock, which features live music, dancing and food. Notable alumni include Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief of astronomy in the Office of Space Science and "mother of the Hubble telescope”; former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis; and Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank.
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General Information
School Type
Private, Coed
Year Founded
1864
Religious Affiliation
None
Academic Calendar
Semester
Setting
Suburban
2019 Endowment
$2.1 billion +
School Website
Website
Swarthmore College's 2021 Rankings
Swarthmore College is ranked #3 in National Liberal Arts Colleges. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.
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Swarthmore College Alumni Starting Salaries
Below are the median starting salaries by major for alumni of Swarthmore College.
By major
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Mathematics and Statistics
Psychology
Social Sciences
Data provided by 
Last updated 2019.
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Swarthmore College Photos
Swarthmore College Admissions
Swarthmore College admissions is most selective with an acceptance rate of 9%. Half the applicants admitted to Swarthmore College have an SAT score between 1380 and 1540 or an ACT score of 31 and 35. However, one quarter of admitted applicants achieved scores above these ranges and one quarter scored below these ranges. The application deadline is Jan. 1 and the application fee at Swarthmore College is $60.
Priority application deadline
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Academic Life at Swarthmore College
The student-faculty ratio at Swarthmore College is 8:1, and the school has 73% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Swarthmore College include: Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 98%.
Class Sizes:
Total faculty
Student Life at Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,594, with a gender distribution of 49% male students and 51% female students. At this school, 95% of the students live in college-owned, -operated or -affiliated housing and 5% of students live off campus. In sports, Swarthmore College is part of the NCAA III.
Student Gender Distribution:
Full-time degree-seeking students
Swarthmore College Tuition & Financial Aid
At Swarthmore College, 54% of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $54,217.
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:
Applied for need-based aid
Need was fully met
Received need-based financial aid
Received need-based self-help aid
Average percent of need met
Minimum credits per term a student can take for full-time tuition price
Campus Safety
Campus safety data were reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education and have not been independently verified. The numbers for criminal offenses reflect reports of alleged offenses to campus security and/or law enforcement authorities, not necessarily prosecutions or convictions. Experts advise prospective students and their families to do their own research to evaluate the safety of a campus as well as the surrounding area.
Swarthmore College Campus
Swarthmore College offers a number of student services, including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, health insurance. Swarthmore College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc.). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Swarthmore College.
Nearest airports (miles)
Swarthmore College User Reviews and Ratings
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Undergraduate data are based on the 2019 school year.
* Median starting salary for alumni with three years of postgraduation work experience and whose highest degree is a bachelor's
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