Swarthmore College Stats, Info and Facts

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College is a residential liberal arts and engineering college located 11 miles from Philadelphia. We are searching for the world's brightest and best students, wherever they might reside and attend high school. Swarthmore is one of the most diverse highly selective institutions you will find in the United States. We believe in diversity, access, and inclusion in all forms: religious, racial and ethnic, political, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic. Each year's 400-person entering class includes first generation and low-income students, as well as students working with college access organizations while in high school.

Founded by the Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) in 1864 as a co-educational institution, Swarthmore believes in using our academic strengths to solve local and global challenges. While we are no longer religiously affiliated, that Quaker heritage remains part of our campus culture. Student voices are important to our community. We respect different viewpoints. We prepare intellectually curious students to become leaders for the common good.

Removing Admissions Barriers

Swarthmore believes that all students, regardless of background or income, should be able to apply to the College without significant financial burdens or roadblocks. That's why we have removed barriers in our admissions process in a few key ways.

Application fee waivers. Applying to college can be costly. Application fees usually range from $50 to more than $100 per application. At Swarthmore, we want to ensure application fees don't stand in your way of applying. If you're in need of an application fee waiver because it poses a financial burden, simply let us know. We are happy to waive your application fee.

Self-reporting test scores. In lieu of submitting official SAT or ACT scores from a testing agency, you may self-report your standarized test scores on your application for admission. In addition, you may self-report or update your standardized test scores via a link in your applicant portal, which is available after you submit your application for admission.

Campus visits. While it's certainly not required, visiting Swarthmore can give you fantastic peek into the life of a Swarthmore student. We host information sessions and campus tours most days of the week, so if you're local to the Philadelphia area, sign up online. If you live farther away, consider applying to our Discover Swarthmore fly-in program. Discover Swarthmore is our all-expenses-paid program for rising high school seniors. Applications are due in July of each year, and if you are selected, we will pay your airfare, train tickets, lodging, and meals to visit us for a few days during the fall of your senior year.

Admitted student experience. If you're admitted to Swarthmore, we host an all-expenses-paid trip to the College called Swatlight. Swatlight is designed for admitted students who are the first in their families to attend college, come from low-income backgrounds, or have been working with a community-based organization.

Enrollment and housing deposits. We automatically waive the $250 enrollment deposit for qualified admitted students. We do not ask for a housing deposit from any enrolling student.

For more information on how we are removing admissions barriers, please visit our website.