Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026

Swarthmore College – Admissions, Rankings, Acceptance Rates

Check here Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate for all year. Here I have listed Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 

• Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2022
• Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2023
• Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2024
• Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2025
• Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate 2026

Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate: Swarthmore College is among the top three National Liberal Arts Education institutions in Pennsylvania. It was the first Swarthmore stone that was erected during the year 1864 by Quakers to encourage collective thought and co-education opportunities.

Swarthmore College has been granted affiliation with the highly regarded Pennsylvania University in the United States.

The college has acquired an area of land totalling 425 acres within Philadelphia. Alongside Harvard, Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore is part of the consortium of three colleges.

It is an entirely private and co-ed college. Swarthmore College offers more than 600 courses across various streams, as well as research opportunities within the context of humanities performing arts and sciences, natural as well as social sciences and engineering.

The college has more than 200 faculty members with permanent tenure and terminal degrees that range between minors for peace studies, cognition sciences and the theory of interpretation.

Swarthmore’s Oxbridge tutorial-based Honors program allows students from all over the world to attend double-credit seminars and write Honors theses with a group of 7-8 students.

The Swarthmore Courses by Major

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences Support Services 
• Engineering & Physical Sciences 
• Foreign Languages, Literature, and Linguistics 
• Mathematics and Statistics.
• Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) 
• Business and Management Studies
• Mass Communication & MediA
• Business Economics and Film Production
• E./B.Tech/B.BA/B.Sc./B.S.Eco/B.Sc. Anthropology
• B.A./BSc in different arts and science programs (4 years). 

Swarthmore lets 13 per cent of international students earn a degree under its guidelines. Around five per cent get their degrees.

Swarthmore College puts a feather on its cap by providing its students with the 3rd most doctoral degrees per year within the U.S. It is in the 29th place in the U.S.

Its Swarthmore College acceptance rate is the highest, at 9.9%, which is less than average in comparison to other schools across the U.S. because of its smaller class sizes. The highest ranking of all, Swarthmore College is one of the top schools across the U.S.

Swarthmore College Ranking

Swarthmore College contains 100 organizations that students can join. With a retention rate of 86%, the college has a high success rate of 86%; it is the Swarthmore College ranking as the most prestigious in the college of liberal arts and sciences.

The best college across the U.S., Swarthmore College boasts a 91% score for postgraduates and a 97% mark for undergraduates. The rankings for Swarthmore College in the U.S. is different in different ways.

For example, 2nd in the value school, 3rdin for liberal art education and 4th in the top undergraduate college, 35th for research projects, and 40 among the most innovative schools within the U.S. Some of the most notable Swarthmore college rankings are:

• #1 in Top 50 ethnically diverse colleges in America 
• #13 in Best Colleges for Pre Med 
• #17 in Hardest colleges to get into in the U.S. in 2022-09-06
• #13 in the 25 most beautiful college campuses in the U.S. 
• #27 in Best colleges on East coast 

The Swarthmore is a charming suburban campus that is situated 11 km away from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The campus is home to an array of facilities along the north-south axis, including student-led reading clubs, archery clubs, drama boards and racing clubs, scholarship programs, residences on campus, eating facilities and post office facilities, art studios, as well as numerous libraries.

In addition, it is ranked among the top universities for liberal arts at Swarthmore College; it has an extensive theatre program along with Boyer Dance Studio and Troy Dance Lab for performances and rehearsals. The skills are displayed each season in the List Gallery and Kitao Art Gallery.

Swarthmore is looking for students who are talented intellectually and thirsty for knowledge. The Parrish is the very first central portion of the college building. Its first and second levels serve as classrooms and offices. The fourth and third floors are dorms for eating and living in Swarthmore.

What is the Swarthmore acceptance rate?

What is the definition of college acceptance rates? Essentially, they are the percentage of students an institution or college accepts from its applicant pool. It is important to note that this does not represent the number of students who eventually take place.

Once we’ve figured out acceptance rates, what is the acceptance percentage for Swarthmore? As per US News, the Swarthmore acceptance rate is the most selective, with an acceptance rate of around 8 per cent.

You can also verify for ourselves: in this year’s admissions period, Swarthmore College admitted 1,021 students to its 2026 class.

To determine the Swarthmore school acceptance rates, you can compare that number with 14,700 applicants. This means that the current Swarthmore accept rate was about 7% and has declined slightly over the last year.

The Swarthmore College acceptance rate–like other elite schools and universities has been decreasing for several years. This isn’t because Swarthmore admissions need to be admitting more applicants. The number of applicants has been increasing steadily, from less than 8000 in 2016 to 14,700 that applied this year.

This is a 60 per cent growth in applicants in just the past six years! Being aware of acceptance rates, trends and acceptance rates can assist you in understanding the chances of getting into college when you prepare to submit your college application.

Swarthmore College Early Decision Acceptance Rate

Recent Swarthmore College ED acceptance rate data comes from the class of 2025. 984 students applying via the binding Early Decision process, and 234 receive acceptance. The 23.7 per cent acceptance rate is significantly greater than the usual round.

Swarthmore College Admissions – SAT, ACT, and Class Rank

For the Class of 2025 members, The mid-50 per cent SAT span was between 1440 and 1540. The median SAT score was 14,89, and that of the median was 1500. The average Math score (752) was more than the average reading test score (737).

The ACT interval was between 33 and 35, with an average score of 33.8 and a median of 34. Ninety per cent of first-year students graduated with the highest 10 per cent for their school’s Class. 99percent were in the top percentile.

Swarthmore GPA Requirements

A lot of schools have an upper GPA requirement. However, it is usually only the minimum required for applicants to be able to submit their applications without having to worry about being rejected immediately.

A GPA is an essential requirement. It is the GPA that you must have to have for a real chance of getting admitted. To determine this, we analyze the average GPA of the school for the students currently.

Its typical GPA of Swarthmore can be as high as 4.05.

(Most schools have an unweighted GPA of 4.0, but some have an unweighted grade. The school we visited did not publish its average GPA. However, we’ve calculated the number here by analyzing data from more than 1,000 schools.)

With an average GPA of 4.05, Swarthmore requires students to be the highest in their field. You’ll need a high percentage of A’s throughout your classes to compete with other applicants.

Additionally, you must be taking a lot of challenging classes such as AP and IB courses – to demonstrate that college-level academics are effortless.

If you’re an undergraduate or senior, your GPA is challenging to improve to be ready for college applications.

If your GPA falls below the school average, which is 4.05, you’ll need an increase in your SAT or ACT score to make up for it. This will enable you to be competitive against candidates with higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Swarthmore ACT Requirements

Like the SAT, Swarthmore College likely won’t have a strict ACT cutoff, however, should you score low, your application could be sent to the recycling bin.

There are typical ACT scores at Swarthmore have been recorded as 32. This puts Swarthmore highly competitive in ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 31, while the 75th percentile ACT score is 34.

While Swarthmore is likely to say they do not have a minimum ACT requirement, If you apply with a score of 31 or less, you’ll have a difficult time getting accepted unless you can show other impressive things to show on your resume. The number of applicants with scores above 32 and 31 could be seen as at a low academic level.

How to Apply to Swarthmore

Deadlines

Early Decision I	November 15
Early Decision II	January 4
Regular Decision	January 4

Application Requirements

• Common Application, Coalition Application, or Quest Bridge Application
• Swarthmore College supplement
• $60 application fee or fee waiver
• School report
• School counselor recommendation
• High school transcript
• Midyear grades
• Two academic-subject teacher recommendations/evaluations
• Self-reported or official standardized test scores (currently optional)
• Interview (optional)

Swarthmore College International Admissions

The process for applying, the deadlines and the requirements for applicants from abroad are the same for those from the country. Swarthmore has lifted the need for standardized test scores (ACT/SAT) to be used for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22.

However, the school will accept English Proficiency test scores from international applicants when the bulk (more than four years) of their schooling has been completed in a nonEnglish-based curriculum.

English curriculum. The application process is on the internet, and the International Student Center supports international applicants. The admission assistance team communicates with applicants via the email address that is provided on the application.

The requirements for application will be the same for international and domestic applicants, except for certain additional conditions.

Application Portal: 

The Coalition Application, Common Application Portal, and QuestBridge Application

Application Fees: 60 USD

Admission requirements:

• Official academic transcripts
• School report
• Swarthmore College Short Answer- required to submit no more than 250 words in response to a short answer question. For the 2019-2020 admissions cycle, the prompt asked: “Please write about why you are interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore.”
• School counselor recommendation/ Letter of recommendation written on official school letterhead
• Original High School transcript, certified and signed by the head of school
• Essay and/or SOP for US
• SAT or ACT scores have been waived off for students applying to Swarthmore in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic cycles. Instead, these are made optional.
• TOEFL/IELTS scores for students having studied in a non-English medium for more than 4 years.
• All applicants, including international students, can request an admissions interview, but interviews are not compulsory and those who do not attend one are not at a disadvantage.

English Proficiency Test Score

It is the English proficiency exam score required for students who are not English-speaking. Swathmore recognizes TOEFL, IELTS, TOEFL, and Duolingo Test, but the college does not provide the minimum score required.

Admissions Trends & Notes – Class of 2026

• Swarthmore was test-optional during the 2021-22 admissions cycle and will remain so through the 2024-25 cycle.
• 66% of admitted Class of 2026 attended public high schools; 24% attended independent schools.
• Swarthmore admitted students from 79 nations and all 50 U.S. states.
• Swarthmore is expecting a freshman class in 2022-23 of approximately 420 students.
• 33% of admitted Class of 2026 students are first-generation.

How Swarthmore College Rates Applicants

Swarthmore College views six factors as “very important” to the admissions process: the rigour of high school class load, Class rank, GPA essay, recommendation letters, application essays and personal qualities.

The only factor that was deemed “important” was extracurricular activities. In the test-optional stretch (2020-21, 2021-22), the standardized tests are given “considered” status.

From the Swarthmore Admissions Office: “We work hard to find a match between your profile and Swarthmore. We are looking for those who will be able to succeed in our living spaces and the campus community.”

For a deeper dive into the specifics of each school’s approach to the way Swarthmore holistically assesses applicants, The following characteristics are highly valued:

• Intellectual curiosity and an enthusiasm for learning
• Creative and proactive problem-solving Generosity toward others
• Civic engagement
• Willingness to work hard and to seek help
• Potential contributions to campus life
• Sustained commitment.
• Open-mindedness in general and to the liberal arts writ large

Swarthmore College Demographics

Let’s examine the demographics of the Swarthmore College undergraduate student body. The states with the most applicants who were enrolled in the Class of 2025 included:

1. New York
2. California
3. Pennsylvania
4. Massachusetts
5. New Jersey
6. Texas
7. Connecticut
8. Illinois
9. Virginia
10. Washington

The regional representation among the undergraduate student body is as follows:

• Mid-Atlantic: 37%
• West: 16%
• International: 14%
• Southeast: 11%
• Midwest: 8%
• New England: 7%
• Southwest: 6%
• Mountain States: 2%

The greatest percentage of international students come from the following countries:

• China
• India
• South Korea
• Mexico
• United Kingdom
• Japan

In terms of ethnic identity, the breakdown is as follows:

• White: 33%
• Asian: 17%
• Hispanic: 14%
• African American: 8%
• Two or More Races: 9%

A look at the gender split reveals that university enrolls a roughly even number of men and women.

• Men: 51%
• Women: 49%

Members of the incoming Class of 2025 attended the following types of high schools:

• Public: 65%
• Independent: 25%
• Parochial: 9%
• International: 12%

Swarthmore College’s “Yield Rate”

The yield rate of Swarthmore College, which is the per cent of students accepted who choose to attend divided by the number of students accepted, is 45 per cent.

It is near other top liberal arts colleges like Williams College, Pomona College as well as Amherst College.

What does Swarthmore look for in applicants?

It’s ok, Swarthmore is famous, and the Swarthmore College ranking is high. In addition, it is said that the Swarthmore acceptance rate could be higher. So, what should an ideal candidate appear like?

Swarthmore admissions examine an academic record that is demonstrated over both GPA and scores on standardized tests. Students admitted to the school have been able to score over 1400 on the SAT or 33-35 on the ACT. This is the ordinary course for a school with an equivalent Swarthmore College ranking.

Beyond scores and numbers, An ideal applicant likes to challenge themselves and is interested in all disciplines. Swarthmore admissions create an environment of eager learners and problem-solvers.

When you fill out the course of your Swarthmore applications, you must showcase your interest in science and enthusiasm for studying. Swarthmore College prides itself on broad intellectual rigour and demands applicants to prove that they’re able to manage the challenge.

Additionally, Swarthmore admissions look for students who can be a part of the community on and outside the campus. Quakers originally founded Swarthmore.

While the college does not have affiliation with any religion, the Quaker egalitarian ideals still guide the culture of Swarthmore’s campus. This is why the Swarthmore admissions committee reviews applicants’ enthusiasm for civic involvement and social building.

In addition, the ideal candidate can show a committed dedication to their interests beyond surface participation.

Be aware that there is no single factor that can decide the fate of your application. For instance, a 1200 SAT score will not automatically disqualify applicants, and you may still be admitted even if you’ve never been a part of the student body.

Be aware that this low Swarthmore College acceptance rate reduces your chances of acceptance. Swarthmore College’s comprehensive admissions process is that your academic and extracurricular achievements are considered in tandem.

Tips for Applying to Swarthmore College

If you’re planning on joining the more than 14,000 Swarthmore College hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, it is essential to be aware of the following:

• If Swarthmore is the top choice, It is recommended that you look into applying for ED on or before November 15. The Regular Decision deadline is at the beginning of January. However, acceptance rates are considerably lower for this round.
• The school offers virtual interviews with an admissions representative and alumni; however, neither is required. Read this article for advice on how to succeed in college applications.
• Swarthmore College does not consider ” demonstrated interest”; therefore, you won’t be judged based on whether or not you went on a campus visit, reached out to an admissions person, etc.
• You can apply using either the Common Application or Coalition Application.
• It is necessary to file a mid-year report in February, so ensure you keep those scores up through the senior year of high school.
• Also, ensure that you spend the time and effort on the additional essay prompts by Swarthmore College. For the 2021-22 cycle, the instructions and three options were like this:

Essays

Alongside the personal statement on the Common Application (you may choose from seven essay questions), We require that you write no over 250 words of your response to a straightforward answer question. In the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, students will be required to select one of the three questions:

• Swarthmore students’ perspectives on the world are often shaped by their previous experiences and exposure to ideas and values. Our students are frequently guided by their teachers, supported, and shaped in their immediate surroundings, including their neighbourhood, faith communities, as well as their families and classrooms. Consider how the aspects of your family or school, or society have affected you positively or shaped you. What have you learned or changed due to the impact of your community?
• We are amazed by students who are open to their learning, comfortable with experiments, and can take risks that move them outside of their familiar zone. Think about a time when you were challenged intellectually and inspired or decided to try something new, whether inside or outside the classroom. What has that experience taught your life, and what concerns remain?
• What are your reasons for looking to apply for and taking part in Swarthmore?

 College Transitions’ Swarthmore College Essay Tips

When choosing a prompt, select the prompt that will allow you to show an essential element of your personality that isn’t visible elsewhere on the application. It could be a) an association, b) an intellectual challenge, or final one) answers to “Why Swarthmore?” There isn’t a single wrong option in this case.

Is Swarthmore hard to get into?

As we can see above, the college acceptance rates for schools such as Harvard and Vanderbilt have been downward for the past several years.

The acceptance rate at Swarthmore has been trending downwards and has seen a massive increase in applicants between 2020 and 2021. This has led to the lowest Swarthmore acceptance rate in history for their most current entering class.

Although we could point to lower acceptance rates to colleges in the United States, the high Swarthmore College ranking indicates that it’s an elite school. In any case, admission to Swarthmore is possible. To increase your chances, be aware of the other elements contributing to low admission rates at Swarthmore.

It is believed that the Swarthmore College enrollment is purposefully tiny, just under the 2,000-student mark. In turn, Swarthmore admissions try to ensure that the class entering is smaller.

In 2026, the class, for example, has 435 applicants, which is similar to the first-year enrollment of the previous years. That is, increasing numbers of applicants compete for the same number of seats, causing the Swarthmore acceptance rate to a lower level.

In contrast to other competitive schools, Swarthmore has no Swarthmore GPA criteria, which can cause high applicants and low Swarthmore acceptance rates.

Additionally, the admissions committee is currently removing requirements for the Swarthmore requirements for SAT requirements in light of COVID-19. However, Swarthmore admissions stress that GPA and other measures of academic excellence are essential for your application.

Don’t let the impressive Swarthmore College rankings and the low acceptance rates for Swarthmore make you feel uneasy. Instead, do your research.

Then, let’s look at what Swarthmore admissions criteria are for applicants so that you can determine how you stack up.

Is Swarthmore College a Good School?

There’s no single way to define the definition of a “good” college or university. Admissions challenges, as well as admissions statistics for students’ tuition, as well as financial aid, can provide you with an idea of how competitive an institution is.

Let’s look at these aspects to understand the services Swarthmore College offers and if it’s the perfect fit for you.

Should I Apply to Swarthmore?

Ninety per cent of students accepted to Swarthmore were able to show an SAT score of 1400 or higher, and 98% had an ACT score of 30 or more.

Nearly everyone was close to, or at the top of the class they attended high school. If you meet these criteria, you’ll be an attractive candidate for Swarthmore However, applicants with more skills and qualities will be the best.

Swarthmore College Tuition Information

Most students get loans from institutions or the government due to their lower interest rates and more affordable repayment choices than personal loans.

Government loans are subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans don’t accrue interest until the time of school, whereas unsubsidized loans start accruing interest from the moment the loan is granted.

Students who aren’t eligible for federal loans sufficient to pay for tuition may borrow from private lenders. Parents can also get the Parent PLUS loan, a federal loan that parents can take to help their children with college expenses.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) aids colleges in assessing the financial needs students, and their families have, allowing them to provide a financial aid package that can meet or comes close to meeting the needs of their students.

For more information about Swarthmore College financial aid, continue reading or visit the site of financial assistance.

Scholarships at Swarthmore College

Students may be eligible for awards and scholarships to pay for college. Instead of loans, scholarships and grants don’t need to be repaid.

The year 2022 saw Swarthmore College award 810 need-based scholarships to students. The college gave a total amount of $41 million to help students in need pay their tuition.

Additionally, $1.92 million in merit-based scholarships cash was awarded to students who did not have a financial need.

Swarthmore College Net Cost

The net cost of the college experience is the total cost of attending school for a single year. The net cost is calculated by subtracting any scholarship, grants, or other aid that does not have to be returned from total costs. Student loans are not considered part of the calculation because they must be repaid.

We are now aware of the total estimated cost of Swarthmore College students; we can subtract the typical budget for financial aid to calculate the net amount. Net costs can differ based on the need of a student and the amount of financial assistance received.

When deciding if a school is within your budget, it’s crucial to look at the Net cost and not only the price on the label. Most schools with the highest tuition fees also have extensive aid packages. So, calculate your net costs before deciding whether or not to eliminate schools that do not match your budget.

The median amount of aid received by a full-time, first-year student who demonstrated financial need at Swarthmore College was $55,917 in 2022.

Subtracting the financial aid package that is the most common from the estimated cost, we can get a figure that could help make the costs for Swarthmore College seem more manageable.

Estimated Net Cost for Full-Time Students
On-Campus	$23,662
Off-Campus	$5,636

What does the cost of attending Swarthmore College cost you? The answer will depend on many variables.

Since 2011, universities have been mandated to include net cost calculators on their sites to help potential pupils and families to make informed choices about the cost of attending that particular school depending on the financial circumstances of their families. The calculator is available on the website of Swarthmore college’s Net Cost Calculator on their site.

Academic Life at Swarthmore College  

The ratio of faculty-students for Swarthmore College is 8:1, and the college has 66.5 per cent of its classes with less than twenty students.

The most popular majors at Swarthmore College include Social Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Education; Engineering; Foreign Languages, Literature, and Linguistics; Psychology; and Visual and Performing Arts. The average retention rate for first-year students as a measure of satisfaction with the school is 94%.

Students’ Life in Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,651 (fall 2021) and an average gender of 50 50% male and 50% female students.

At the school, 96% of students reside in college-owned or affiliated housing, and the remaining 4% live outside the campus. In sports, Swarthmore College is part of the NCAA III.

Swarthmore College Campus

Swarthmore College offers several student services, including women’s centres, nonremedial tutoring with placement services, health services, and health insurance.

Swarthmore College also provides campus security and safety features like 24-hour patrols for vehicles and feet and late-night transport/escort services and emergency phone lines that are available 24 hours a day and lighted walkways/sidewalks, as well as access to the dormitories controlled (key or security card etc.). Students are allowed to drink alcohol if they are of legal age at Swarthmore College.

Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate FAQS

Q.1 Is Swarthmore an Ivy League?

ANS. Swarthmore is to be one among the “Little Ivies”, a common term for smaller schools with a lot of academic ability that is comparable to Ivy League universities. Swarthmore gives every student the option of deciding their specialization by choosing from over 40 courses.

Q.2 What GPA do you need to get into Swarthmore?

ANS. a 4.05 GPA or higher

It is also recommended to boast at least a 4.05 GPA or more. If you’re GPA is less than this, you’ll have to make up for it with more SAT/ACT scores. If you’re applying to a school with a high-stakes selection like Swarthmore, it is also necessary to impress them with the other components in your applications.

Q.3 Is Swarthmore better than Upenn?

ANS. The Swarthmore Beats University of Pennsylvania in Forbes’ Top Colleges Rankings.

Q.4 How prestigious is Swarthmore?

ANS. Swarthmore College is ranked 4th out of the 210 National Liberal Arts Colleges. Schools are ranked based on performance against a set of commonly accepted indicators of excellence.

Q.5 What is Swarthmore best known for?

ANS. The lush campus of Swarthmore’s is home to the world-renowned Scott Arboretum, which boasts lush landscapes and more than 4000 varieties of plants.

Q.6 Is Swarthmore a Tier 1 school?

ANS. Tier 2 is a selective private college for liberal studies (like Williams, Smith, Swarthmore, as well as Amherst Colleges);

Q.7 What is the most popular major at Swarthmore College?

ANS. The most popular majors at Swarthmore College include Social Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Education; Engineering; Foreign Languages, Literature, and Linguistics; Psychology; and Visual …