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Swarthmore by the Numbers

students walking past Clothier Hall
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.
Student Life
Student Life Information Totals
Residence Halls 18
Students Who Live on Campus 95%
Students Who Volunteer >60%
Varsity Sports Teams 22
Clubs and Organizations >100
Libraries 7
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 2017–18)
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, 2018)
College Finance Amount
Total operating expenses $169,078,000
 
Sources of Revenue 39% student fees
52% endowment
9% other
Market Value of Endowment $2,115,768,000
Endowment Per Student 16th in the U.S. (FY2017)

The Office of Institutional Research is a source for further statistical information and survey data about Swarthmore College.