About

About Swarthmore College

highly selective admissionssmall liberal arts collegelow student faculty ratioquaker heritagehonors program

Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, PA, known for its highly selective admissions, small liberal arts college, and low student faculty ratio. With an acceptance rate of 7%, Swat is one of the most selective colleges in the United States, typically enrolling around 433 students each year. Swat is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1480–1550, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. Swat meets 100% of demonstrated financial need and has replaced loans with grants.

Admissions

Swarthmore College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

one of the most selective colleges in the United States

7%
Overall Accept Rate
1515
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1480 – 1550 (test optional)

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ACTScore range: 33 – 35

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ED advantage at Swarthmore College: ED acceptance rate is 18% vs 7% regular decision, more than double. If Swarthmore Collegeis your first choice and you've confirmed the financial fit, Early Decision is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Swarthmore College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Essay Strategy
Swarthmore reads essays looking for genuine intellectual curiosity, so write about a specific idea, question, or problem that has genuinely consumed you, not just a topic that sounds impressive. Show them how your mind works when you are really digging into something.
Application Strategy
If you thrive in discussion-based, seminar-style learning, explicitly mention Swarthmore's External Examination Honors Program in your application and explain why that model of independent study and outside evaluation excites you specifically. Admissions officers want to see you understand what makes Swarthmore's academic structure genuinely different.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Swarthmore College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Loan-free financial aid: Swarthmore College has replaced all loans with grants. Swarthmore College's sticker price of ~$76k/year bears almost no resemblance to what most families pay.
Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$76k/yr$7.7k
30k-48k~$76k/yr$5.0k
48k-75k~$76k/yr$11.4k
75k-110k~$76k/yr$22.4k
110k+~$76k/yr$47.5k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

94%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$56k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
7:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,809
Undergrad Enrollment
Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch