More selective than 98% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $84,103. College Scorecard.
Higher than 97% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 92% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Swarthmore College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,287 applicants, Swarthmore College admitted 992 and 415 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1490–1560 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Swarthmore 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)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Swarthmore College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Swarthmore College took 4.2 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 Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,690 | $32,375 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,951 | $20,844 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,444 | $48,179 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $22,443 | $94,485 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $47,544 | $200,160 | 4.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (76% 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 ($80,257) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $44,460 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.
Swarthmore College majors, earnings & careers
Swarthmore College offers 69 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 22
- Science & Math · 16
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 15
- Arts & Design · 7
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at Swarthmore College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $150,942 | — |
| Economics | $128,051 | $19,500 |
| Engineering | $78,519 | — |
| Political Science | $58,372 | — |
| Biology | $57,754 | — |
Quick list of all 69 majors
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$57,754
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$150,942
- Criminology—
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Dance—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$128,051
- Education—
- Education, Other—
- Engineering$78,519
- English—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physical Sciences, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science$58,372
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other—
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— 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 →Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Philadelphia
Overall prices in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,860. Housing costs 13% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 23 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Delaware County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Delaware County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Swarthmore College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swarthmore College | 7% | $23,149 | 92% | $80,257 | This school |
| Haverford College | 12% | $25,314 | 90% | $79,966 | |
| Curtis Institute of Music | 5% | — | 96% | — | |
| Franklin and Marshall College | 28% | $36,425 | 84% | $76,124 | |
| Bryn Mawr College | 29% | $31,759 | 82% | $75,217 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Swarthmore College would cost you $2,165 less per year than Haverford College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Swarthmore College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$5,194).
- Haverford College gives aided families $4,114 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Swarthmore College | Haverford College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $65,494 | $70,688 | −$5,194 |
| Books & supplies | $760 | $1,240 | −$480 |
| Housing & meals | $18,964 | $18,880 | +$84 |
| Personal & travel | $1,967 | $1,962 | +$5 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,082 | −$2,388 | −$694 |
| Sticker price | $84,103 | $90,382 | −$6,279 |
| Average grants | −$60,954 | −$65,068 | +$4,114 |
| You pay | $23,149 | $25,314 | −$2,165 |
“+” means Swarthmore 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 Swarthmore College
What is the Swarthmore College acceptance rate?
Swarthmore College accepts 7% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 992 of 14,287 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1490–1560 on the SAT or 33–35 on the ACT.
How much does Swarthmore College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $84,103 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,149 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,690 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,544.
How much do Swarthmore College graduates earn?
Former Swarthmore College students earn a median $80,257 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Swarthmore College graduation rate?
92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
How long does a Swarthmore College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Swarthmore College costs about $48,179 after grants ($11,444 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $80,257 ten years after starting, $44,460 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 1.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Swarthmore College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/swarthmore-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).