Facts & Figures
Overview
Overview
| Founded |
Founded in 1864 as a coeducational college by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) |
|---|
| Character |
Private, nonsectarian, liberal arts with engineering |
|---|
| Mission |
Swarthmore seeks to help its students realize their full intellectual and personal potential combined with a deep sense of ethical and social concern. |
|---|
| Campus |
425 acres, comprising the Scott Arboretum, featuring rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails |
|---|
| Location |
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia |
|---|
| Member |
Tri-College Consortium with Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, cross-registration with the University of Pennsylvania is also offered |
|---|
The Academic Experience
| Academic Programs |
Swarthmore offers more than 40 courses of study, and provides the opportunity for students to design their own major. More than 600 courses are offered on campus each year. |
|---|
| Honors |
A cohort of students chooses to pursue their degree through the College's Honors Program, unique in the U.S., which emphasizes independent learning in small seminar classes and culminates with oral and written tests given by external examiners who are experts in their field. |
|---|
| Number of Faculty |
187 full-time tenure and tenure-track faculty, 99% of full-time faculty have a terminal degree in their field |
|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio |
8:1 |
|---|
| Students who Participate in Undergraduate Research or Independent Creative Projects |
66%, each summer the College commits more than $800,000 in grants to support this work. Opportunities are available in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering divisions, as well as for social action projects. |
|---|
The Student Body (2017–18)
| Total Enrollment |
Men |
Women |
|---|
| 1641 |
809 |
832 |
High School Distribution of Students
| High School Type |
Percentage of Total Student Body |
|---|
| Independent |
20% |
| International |
10% |
| Parochial |
11% |
| Public and/or charter |
59% |
Geographic Distribution of Students
| Geographic Location |
Percentage of Total Student Body |
|---|
| International |
13% |
| Midwest |
9% |
| Middle Atlantic |
35% |
| Mountain States |
2% |
| New England |
10% |
| Southeast |
9% |
| Southwest |
4% |
| West |
15% |
| U.S. Territories |
<1% |
Racial and Ethnic Identity of Students
| Racial and Ethnic Identity |
Percentage of Total Student Body |
|---|
| African American |
6% |
| American Indian/Native Alaskan |
<1% |
| Asian |
17% |
| Hispanic |
13% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
0% |
| International Students |
11% |
| Race and ethnicity unknown/unreported |
3% |
| Two or more Races |
8% |
| White |
42% |
Enrollment Information for the Class of 2022
| Enrollment Information |
Totals |
|---|
| Number of Applicants |
10,749 |
| Number of Students Admitted |
1,016 |
| Number of Students Enrolled |
422 |
Tuition and Fees (for 2018–19)
| Tuition and Fees |
Cost |
|---|
| Tuition |
$52,190 |
| Room |
$7,938 |
| Board |
$7,536 |
| Student Activity Fee |
$398 |
| Total |
$68,062 |
Financial Aid
Admission and financial aid decisions for U.S. citizens and permanent residents are made independently at Swarthmore. Financial aid awards meet the determined need for admitted students, without loans.
Financial Aid (2017–18)
| Financial Aid |
Amount |
|---|
| Students Receiving Need-Based Aid From the College |
56% |
| Range of Financial Aid Awards |
$1,000 - $69,326 |
| Average Aid Award (campus job and scholarship combined) |
$50,361 |
Outcomes
| Outcome |
Percentage of Student Body |
|---|
| Students who plan to enter the workforce upon graduation |
72% |
| Students who plan to enter graduate school within 5 years of graduation |
83% |
| Student & graduate applicants who are admitted to medical school |
87% |
| Graduates who complete a doctoral program |
27% (4th highest in the nation) |
College Finances (For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016)
| College Finance |
Amount |
|---|
| Total operating expenses |
$148,086,000
|
| Sources of Revenue |
42% student fees
53% endowment
5% other |
| Market Value of Endowment |
$1,746,962,000 |
| Endowment Per Student |
15th in the U.S. (FY2016) |
The Office of Institutional Research is a source for further statistical information and survey data about Swarthmore College.
