Swarthmore: the complete school report for parents

What does Swarthmore actually weigh in admissions?

Swarthmore rates 6 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, recommendations, personal qualities, class rank. It does not consider 1 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Swarthmore's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What is the Swarthmore waitlist really like?

Swarthmore offered a place on its waiting list to applicants and 14 accepted one. 14 were ultimately admitted. That is 100.0% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Swarthmore admitted 10.0% of 421 transfer applicants, against 7.5% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 17.8% of ED applicants were admitted against 7.5% overall, a gap of 10 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What will Swarthmore actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $23,149 a year at Swarthmore after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $68,766. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1 merit awards averaging $64,946 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

18% of Swarthmore graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,817 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $186 a month in repayment. Swarthmore’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Swarthmore pay off?

Graduates earn a median $80,257 ten years after entering, and $56,211 at six years. 87% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 86% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$153,172 to $63,282, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Swarthmore:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

98% of first-years return for a second year. 72% graduate within four years and 92% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 89.3% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 92.0% of everyone else, a gap of 2.7 points.

How big are the classes?

70% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 1% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1, and 94% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

What is life at Swarthmore like?

1,631 undergraduates, 85.91% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 93.72% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women a sorority. 27% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $78,121.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Early Decision is worth 10 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 14 of 14 who waited were admitted, about 100%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $153,172 five years out against $63,282 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Swarthmore

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