Earlham College
Earlham College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Earlham College Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Christian Colleges in Indiana 2026
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Indiana 2026
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Indiana
- #3 Best Private Colleges in Indiana
- #6 Best Colleges in Indiana 2026
- #6 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
- #8 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #11 Social Work Liberal Arts Colleges
About Earlham College
According to Wikipedia, Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social justice, mutual respect, and community decision-making. It offers a Master of Arts in Teaching and has an affiliated graduate seminary, the Earlham School of Religion, which offers three master's degrees: Master of Divinity, Master of Ministry, and Master of Arts in Religion.
Earlham College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,765 | 73% | 77% | 75% | 1200 | 28 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Earlham College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $55,814 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $18,517 |
| 30K - 48K | $19,069 |
| 48K - 75K | $21,768 |
| 75K - 110K | $25,096 |
| 110K+ | $31,884 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Earlham College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Earlham College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $49,427 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Earlham College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 820 | 747 | 73 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Earlham College?
Earlham College is located at 801 National Rd West, Richmond, IN 47374-4095.
How Safe is Earlham College?
Relative to its enrollment, Earlham College has a violent crime rate of 0.27% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Richmond has a violent crime rate of 0.42% and a property crime rate of 1.15%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Earlham College Known For?
Earlham College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Biology
- Communications
- Engineering
- Political Science
- History
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Education
- Physics
- Psychology
- Economics
- Anthropology
- Social Work
Earlham College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Earlham College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Earlham College ranks #116 in the U.S. and #362 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesEarlham College ranks #166 in the U.S. and #752 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesEarlham College ranks #184 in the U.S. and #813 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesEarlham College ranks #203 in the U.S. and #766 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesEarlham College ranks #213 in the U.S. and #902 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesEarlham College ranks #224 in the U.S. and #648 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesEarlham College ranks #240 in the U.S. and #909 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesEarlham College ranks #278 in the U.S. and #1007 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesEarlham College ranks #290 in the U.S. and #1757 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesEarlham College ranks #320 in the U.S. and #1257 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesEarlham College ranks #323 in the U.S. and #906 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesEarlham College ranks #338 in the U.S. and #1182 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesEarlham College ranks #349 in the U.S. and #1428 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesEarlham College ranks #378 in the U.S. and #1606 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesEarlham College ranks #391 in the U.S. and #1753 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesEarlham College ranks #411 in the U.S. and #1030 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesEarlham College ranks #456 in the U.S. and #2717 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesEarlham College ranks #486 in the U.S. and #1495 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesEarlham College ranks #600 in the U.S. and #1463 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Earlham College's Most Influential Alumni?
Earlham College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Philosophy, Chemistry, and Literature. Here are some of Earlham College's most famous alumni:
- Harold Urey
- An American physical chemist.
- Peter Suber
- An American philosopher.
- Robert T. Pennock
- An American philosopher and critic of intelligent design.
- Wendell Meredith Stanley
- An American biochemist.
- Robert Quine
- An American guitarist.
- Peter D. Klein
- An American philosopher.
- Manning Marable
- An American professor of public affairs and African American studies at Columbia University and biographer.
- Warder Clyde Allee
- An American zoologist and ecologist.
- Frances Moore Lappé
- An American researcher and author.
- Mary Haas
- An American linguist. Mary Haas is studied historical linguistics.
- William O. Stephens
- An American philosopher.
- Tracy Hall
- An American chemist.