Earlham College

Earlham College is a less selective private nonprofit college in Richmond, Indiana. It admits most applicants, graduates 69% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $50,797 ten years after starting college, more than 47% of the Indiana colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
73%

More selective than 72% of Indiana colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$24,714 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $67,684. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
69%

Higher than 77% of Indiana colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$50,797

Higher than 47% of Indiana colleges we cover and 43% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Earlham College acceptance rate & admissions

Of 1,765 applicants, Earlham College admitted 1,310 and 202 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1110–1290 on the SAT or 24–33 on the ACT.

1,765
Applied
1,310
Admitted
202
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years1110–1290
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years24–33
First-years who sent SAT scores32%
First-year students who return77%
Pell Grant recipients24%
First-generation students23%
Women / men53% / 47%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Earlham College tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees$53,930
Housing & meals, on campus$13,193
Books & supplies$1,000
Total cost of attendance$67,684

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$19,500
Loan default rate3.3%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What Earlham College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Earlham College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Indiana. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$17,178$70,9454.6 years
$30–48k$15,658$64,6684.2 years
$48–75k$19,768$81,6425.3 years
$75–110k$26,136$107,9427.1 years
$110k+$31,058$128,2708.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (61% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($50,797) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,263 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in Indiana for your income →

Earlham College majors, earnings & careers

Earlham College offers 42 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 16
  • Science & Math · 8
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Business & Finance · 3
  • Technology & Computing · 2
  • Communications & Media · 1
  • Engineering · 1

Highest-earning majors at Earlham College

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Business Administration$60,745$27,000
Quick list of all 42 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Area Studies—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology—
  • Broadcasting / Digital Media—
  • Business Administration$60,745
  • Chemistry—
  • Classics—
  • Computer Science—
  • Data Science—
  • Economics—
  • Engineering—
  • English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Ethnic / Gender Studies—
  • Geology / Earth Science—
  • German—
  • History—
  • Human Services—
  • Interdisciplinary Studies—
  • International Relations—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Linguistics—
  • Mathematics—
  • Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
  • Museology / Museum Studies—
  • Music—
  • Neuroscience—
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution—
  • Philosophy—
  • Physics—
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology—
  • Psychology (Research)—
  • Public Policy Analysis—
  • Religious Studies—
  • Sociology—
  • Sociology and Anthropology—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre—
  • Writing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Business Administration → Management analyst

$95,560
Indiana
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist

$64,700
Indiana
$82,220
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Richmond

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$775/mo

2 bedrooms $1,014.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
36° / 85°

January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 12 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Low

Highest: tornado (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Wayne County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)696
First-year students from Indiana33%
Next most common home statesOhio, Kentucky, Illinois
AthleticsNCAA Division III without football · 10 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyWhite 59% · Black 8% · Hispanic 6% · Two or more 5%International 18%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Wayne County at a glance

Population66,397
Median household income$55,692
Adults with a bachelor's degree20%
Median age41

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Earlham College with similar schools

Similar private colleges in Indiana by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Earlham College73%$24,71469%$50,797This school
Holy Cross College75%$26,72873%$50,416
Saint Mary's College76%$25,29269%$59,354
Huntington University76%$19,31064%$46,672
Franklin College70%$22,85560%$55,376

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Earlham College would cost you $2,014 less per year than Holy Cross College, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Earlham College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$17,330).
  • Earlham College gives aided families $18,817 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Indiana residentEarlham CollegeHoly Cross CollegeDifference
Tuition & fees$53,930$36,600+$17,330
Books & supplies$1,000$1,100−$100
Housing & meals$13,193$12,300+$893
Personal & travel$2,345$3,296−$951
Living-at-home adjustment−$2,784−$2,415−$369
Sticker price$67,684$50,881+$16,803
Average grants−$42,970−$24,153−$18,817
You pay$24,714$26,728−$2,014

“+” means Earlham College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Earlham College

What is the Earlham College acceptance rate?

Earlham College accepts 73% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,310 of 1,765 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1110–1290 on the SAT or 24–33 on the ACT.

How much does Earlham College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $67,684 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,714 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,178 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,058.

How much do Earlham College graduates earn?

Former Earlham College students earn a median $50,797 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Earlham College graduation rate?

69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.

How long does a Earlham College degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Earlham College costs about $81,642 after grants ($19,768 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $50,797 ten years after starting, $15,263 more than high school graduates in Indiana ($35,534), so the cost is repaid in 5.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is Earlham College the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing Earlham College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Earlham College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/earlham-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).