# Swarthmore College

Private nonprofit college in Swarthmore, PA. IPEDS ID 216287.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/swarthmore-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/swarthmore-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 8% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $23,149 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 92%; beats 97% of PA colleges and 97% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $80,257; beats 92% of PA colleges and 93% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,690 |
| 30-48k | $4,951 |
| 48-75k | $11,444 |
| 75-110k | $22,443 |
| 110k+ | $47,544 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.21 years on average (76% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $80,257 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $84,103
- Tuition and fees: $65,494
- Housing and meals: $18,964; books: $760

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 740–770; SAT math: 750–790; ACT: 33–35 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 14,287 applicants, 992 admitted, 415 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 8%, ACT 33–35 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 7%, ACT 33–34 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (69 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $103,686 | $150,942 | not reported |
| Economics | $76,944 | $128,051 | $19,500 |
| Engineering | not reported | $78,519 | not reported |
| Political Science | $40,449 | $58,372 | not reported |
| Biology | $41,122 | $57,754 | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Literature | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English Language and Literature / Letters, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | $72,656 | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cognitive Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Archeology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Urban Studies / Affairs | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology and Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Biology → Biological technician: median wage $60,630 (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD), $54,950 (PA), $57,510 (U.S.)
- Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer: median wage $133,040 (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD), $126,550 (PA), $135,980 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).