Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College Featured Rankings
- #1 Engineering Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
- #1 Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
- #1 Liberal Arts Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022
- #2 Earth Sciences Liberal Arts Colleges
- #2 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Private Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #3 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #3 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology Degrees
- #4 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #4 Best Small Colleges 2025
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2022
- #7 Political Science Colleges and Universities
- #8 Sociology Colleges and Universities
- #9 Psychology Colleges and Universities
- #9 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #10 Best Biology Colleges and Universities
- #30 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #34 Best Undergrad Colleges 2025
About Swarthmore College
Featured Alumni
David Baltimore ranks among our Top Influential Biologists Today.
Paul DiMaggio ranks among our Top Influential Sociologists Today.
Arlie Russell Hochschild ranks among our Top Influential Sociologists Today.
Swarthmore College, a four-year, liberal arts college, was founded in 1864. Swarthmore offers more than 600 courses in more than 40 disciplinary fields.
Among the school’s most popular programs are those in social sciences, in biological and biomedical sciences, and in mathematics and statistics. Other notable Swarthmore programs include those in peace and conflict studies, in cognitive science, and in interpretation theory.
Swarthmore does not provide a distance learning program.
Swarthmore is associated with six Nobel laureates:
- Physics—John C. Mather
- Chemistry—Christian B. Anfinsen
- Physiology or medicine—David Baltimore and Howard Temin
- Economics—Edward C. Prescott
- Peace—Ralph Bunche
Among other distinguished Swarthmore linked individuals, we may mention the following
- Mathematician, Robert MacPherson
- Computer scientists—Neil Gershenfeld, Ted Nelson, and Peter J. Weinberger
- Philosophers—Brand Blanshard, David Lewis, Elizabeth Anderson, Gilbert Harman, Allan Gibbard, Alexander Nehamas, Cora Diamond, and Peter Unger
- Poet, W.H. Auden
- Novelists, Norman Rush and Jonathan Franzen
- Genre authors, James A. Michener and Rudy Rucker
- Actors, Susan Oliver and Stephen Lang
- Comedians, Beth Littleford and Jenny Yang
- Theater critic, Ben Brantley
- Film critic, Kenneth Turan
- Composer, parodist, and music educator, Peter Schickele
- Conceptual artist, Alexandra Grant
- Cartoonist, Caroline Pietsch
- Astronomers, Charlotte Moore Sitterly and Nancy Roman
- Astrophysicist, Sandra Faber
- Biophysicist, Jane S. Richardson
- Biochemist, Judith G. Voet
- Molecular biologist, Maxine Frank Singer
- Population geneticist, Newton Morton
- Neuroscientists, John J. Hopfield and Joseph Takahashi
- Linguists—Ray Jackendoff, Barbara Partee, and Lila Gleitman
- Paleontologist, Tyler Lyson
- Biological anthropologist, Karen Strier
- Historians—Daniel J. Boorstin, John H. Morrow, Jr., and Linda Grant DePauw
- Psychologists—Wolfgang Köhler, Isabel Briggs Myers, Solomon Asch, Robert Rescorla, Kenneth Gergen, and Carol Gilligan
- Sociologist, Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Political scientists, Robert D. Putnam and Peter Berkowitz
- Economists, Scott Nearing and Eliot Roy Weintraub
- Architect, Marianne McKenna
Swarthmore is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
According to Wikipedia, Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeducational colleges in the United States. It was established as a college under the Religious Society of Friends. By 1906, Swarthmore had dropped its religious affiliation and officially became non-sectarian.
Swarthmore College's Online Degrees
Swarthmore College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,707 | 7% | 94% | 1500 | 33 |
How Much Does Swarthmore College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition (in-state) |
|---|
| $59,328 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $5,341 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,634 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,009 |
| 75K - 110K | $18,389 |
| 110K+ | $50,474 |
How Much Do Swarthmore College Graduates Make?
If you graduate from Swarthmore College, then you can expect to earn an average of $70,000 per year. You also have a 87% chance of being employed after 10 years.
Swarthmore College's Demographics
Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,716 | 1,716 |
Where is Swarthmore College?
Swarthmore College is located at 500 College Ave, Swarthmore PA 19081
How Safe is Swarthmore College?
Swarthmore has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.
What Is Swarthmore College Known For?
Swarthmore College is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Literature
- History
- Biology
- Education
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Earth Sciences
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Business
- Medical
Swarthmore College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Who Are Swarthmore College's Most Influential Alumni?
Swarthmore College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Sociology, and Economics. Here are some of Swarthmore College's most famous alumni:
- David Baltimore
- An American biologist, (1938– ), New York, New York, USA.
- Robert D. Putnam
- An American political scientist.
- Ted Nelson
- An American information technologist, philosopher, and sociologist.
- Clark Kerr
- An American academic .
- Carol Gilligan
- An American feminist, ethicist, and psychologist.
- John Hopfield
- An American biophysicist.
- Edward C. Prescott
- An American economist .
- Ben Brantley
- An American journalist.
- Andries van Dam
- A Dutch-born American professor of computer science at Brown University.
- Alice Paul
- An American suffragist, feminist, and activist .
- Michael Hardt
- An American philosopher.
- Sally Ride
- An American astronaut and physicist .
