Swarthmore College

www.swarthmore.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$55,856

2.95% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$19,733

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.826%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

7.79%

26,024 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

3,302

99.9% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

94.1%

764 Graduates

About

Swarthmore College is a higher education institution located in Delaware County, PA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Swarthmore College were General Economics (60 degrees awarded), General Computer & Information Sciences (59 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (42 degrees).

In 2021, 481 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Swarthmore College. 53% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 47% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (189 degrees), 2.63 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (72 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Swarthmore College is $55,856, which is $27,351 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Baccalaureate Colleges

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Swarthmore College is $55,856, which is $27,351 more than the national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $19,733.

In 2021, 74% of undergraduate students attending Swarthmore College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 12% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$55,856

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Swarthmore College was $55,856. The cost of tuition at Swarthmore College is $27,351 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Baccalaureate Colleges ($28,505).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Swarthmore College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$19,733

2021 Value

3.08%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Swarthmore College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $19,733. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Swarthmore College grew by 3.08%.

This chart compares the average net price of Swarthmore College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$16,654

Room and Board

$735

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Swarthmore College was of $16,654 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 3.52% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $735. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 47.5% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Swarthmore College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

74%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

12%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

74% of undergraduate students at Swarthmore College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 23.3% with respect to 2020, when 60% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Swarthmore College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.826%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Swarthmore College was 0.826%, which represents 1 out of the 121 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Swarthmore College received 26,024 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 11.9% annual growth. Out of those 26,024 applicants, 2,026 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 7.79% acceptance rate.

There were 3,302 students enrolled at Swarthmore College in 2021. 39% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Swarthmore College has an overall enrollment yield of 44.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

7.79%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

2,026

Accepted Out of 26,024

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Swarthmore College was 7.79% (2,026 admissions from 26,024 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 9.06%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 11.9%, while admissions declined by −3.89%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Swarthmore College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

39%

Submission Percentage (2021)

358

Scores Submitted (2021)

39% of enrolled first-time students at Swarthmore College in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Swarthmore College had a total enrollment of 3,302 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Swarthmore College is 3,298 students and the part-time enrollment is 4. This means that 99.9% of students enrolled at Swarthmore College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Swarthmore College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 33.3% White, 17.4% Asian, 13.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.27% Two or More Races, 7.69% Black or African American, 0.303% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.121% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Swarthmore College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (16.8%), followed by White Male (16.5%) and Asian Female (9.1%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

99.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Swarthmore College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 3,302 students. The full-time enrollment at Swarthmore College is 3,298 and the part-time enrollment is 4. This means that 99.9% of students enrolled at Swarthmore College are enrolled full-time compared with 79.9% at similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Swarthmore College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

95%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Swarthmore College was 95%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Baccalaureate Colleges (72%), Swarthmore College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Swarthmore College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
1,100 enrolled students
Asian
574 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
450 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Swarthmore College is 33.3% White, 17.4% Asian, 13.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.27% Two or More Races, 7.69% Black or African American, 0.303% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.121% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Baccalaureate Colleges is 55% White, 13.5% Black or African American, and 13.4% Hispanic or Latino.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 94 students (2.85%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 29 more women than men received degrees from Swarthmore College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Swarthmore College is white (189 degrees awarded). There were 2.63 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (72 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Swarthmore College is General Economics (60 degrees awarded), followed by General Computer & Information Sciences (59 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (42 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Swarthmore College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Philosophy and Religious Studies (15 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (12 degrees), and Math & Statistics (36 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Swarthmore College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (355,161 people), Other managers (255,586 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (184,380 people), Postsecondary teachers (183,339 people), and Chief executives & legislators (121,560 people).

The most specialized majors at Swarthmore College in 2021 are Philosophy and Religious Studies (15 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (12 degrees), Math & Statistics (36 degrees), Language & Linguistics (22 degrees), and Social Sciences (98 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Media and communication workers, all other

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Swarthmore College are Media and communication workers, all other, Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, and Aerospace engineers

The most specialized majors at Swarthmore College are Philosophy and Religious Studies (15 degrees awarded), Cultural & Gender Studies (12 degrees), Math & Statistics (36 degrees), Language & Linguistics (22 degrees), and Social Sciences (98 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Swarthmore College are Elementary & secondary schools (433,852 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (357,926 people), Legal services (282,108 people), Computer Systems Design (230,669 people), and Justice, public order, & safety activities (178,171 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Swarthmore College.

Most Common (2021)

General Economics
60 degree-majors awarded
General Computer & Information Sciences
59 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
42 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Swarthmore College was General Economics with 60 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Swarthmore College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

226

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

255

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 226 degrees were awarded to men at Swarthmore College, which is 0.886 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (255).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Swarthmore College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 37 degrees were awarded to men at Swarthmore College in General Computer & Information Sciences, which is 1.68 times more than the 22 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 24 degrees were awarded to men at Swarthmore College in General Economics, which is 0.667 times less than the 36 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

86%

100% Completion Time

94%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 86% of students graduating from Swarthmore College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 94% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 95% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Baccalaureate Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Black or African American Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Swarthmore College is Male and Black or African American (100% graduation rate). Across all Baccalaureate Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 4.71% of graduates (36 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
189 degrees awarded
Asian
72 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
45 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Swarthmore College is white (189 degrees awarded). There were 2.63 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (72 degrees).

6.44% of degree recipients (31 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
99 degrees awarded
White Male
90 degrees awarded
Asian Female
42 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Swarthmore College is white female (99 degrees awarded). There were 1.1 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (90 degrees).

Operations

Swarthmore College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.9B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 1.82B (62.7%) compared to the 17.4% average return (9.13M on 52.4M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

In 2021, Swarthmore College had a total salary expenditure of 179M. Swarthmore College employs 198 Assistant professors, 166 Professors and 108 Associate professors. Most academics at Swarthmore College are Male Assistant professor (100), Female Assistant professor (98), and Male Professor (92).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Swarthmore College are: Service, with 274 employees, Management, with 210 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 182 employees.

Endowment

$2.9B

2021 Endowment

37.8%

growth from 2020

Swarthmore College has an endowment valued at about $2.9B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Swarthmore College grew 37.8% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.85B higher than than the median endowment of Baccalaureate Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Swarthmore College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$76.3M

2021 Salaries

2.15%

growth from 2020

In 2021, Swarthmore College paid a median of $76.3M in salaries, which represents 42.7% of their overall expenditure ($179M) and a 2.15% growth from the previous year.

The median for similar Baccalaureate Colleges is 15.1M (38.9% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$56.8M

Instructional Salaries

478

Number of Employees

In 2021, Swarthmore College paid a total of $56.8M to 478 employees working as instructors, which represents 37.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $9.84M (65%) for similar Baccalaureate Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

198 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

274 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Swarthmore College were Assistant professor with 198 employees, Professor with 166 employees, and Associate professor with 108 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Swarthmore College were Service with 274 employees, Management with 210 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 182 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Assistant professor
Female Assistant professor
Male Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Swarthmore College was Male Assistant professor with 100 employees, Female Assistant professor with 98 employees, and Male Professor with 92 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Swarthmore College.