Swarthmore College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 7%, Swarthmore College is a most selective private college in Pennsylvania. Because it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Swarthmore College weighs, where it ranks among Pennsylvania schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1530, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is Swarthmore College's acceptance rate?
Swarthmore College admitted 992 of 14,287 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 7.5%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1490 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 31, 2026.
Swarthmore College supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Swarthmore College?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Swarthmore College?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Swarthmore College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Swarthmore College?
Swarthmore College admits about 7% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Swarthmore College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Swarthmore College hard to get into?
Swarthmore College is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 7% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into Swarthmore College?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Swarthmore College, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. Swarthmore College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Swarthmore College by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Swarthmore College for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Swarthmore College with a 3.9 GPA and a 1530 SAT?
About 14% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1530 SAT, the middle of Swarthmore College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1560 SAT comes out near 15%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/swarthmore-college.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Swarthmore College
From Swarthmore College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Swarthmore College?
17.8%. Swarthmore College admitted 228 of 1,281 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 7.5% of all 12,995 first-year applicants (Swarthmore College's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Swarthmore College?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 17.8% versus about 6.4% for everyone who applied another way, 2.8x the rate, and Early Decision filled 23.3% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Swarthmore College is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Swarthmore College?
10%: 42 of 421 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Swarthmore College's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Swarthmore College Common Data Set 2025-26. Read from the document twice independently; only matching figures are shown. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Swarthmore College
Built from Swarthmore College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Swarthmore College, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Swarthmore College carries about a 3.92 core GPA and a 1510 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1490 to 1560 SAT (33 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1525 or higher; below 1490, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Swarthmore College rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Swarthmore College is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Swarthmore College's exact dates at www.swarthmore.edu.
How many students apply to Swarthmore College, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Swarthmore College received 14,287 applications and admitted 992, an acceptance rate of 6.9%. 415 enrolled. Roughly 42% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Swarthmore College enrolls about 1,613 undergraduates in total, 52% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Swarthmore College?
Admitted students at Swarthmore College post SAT scores of 1490 to 1560 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1534. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 33 to 35. A score above 1560 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1490 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Swarthmore College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Swarthmore College looks for
What Swarthmore College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Swarthmore College leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Swarthmore College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Swarthmore College
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Swarthmore College cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Swarthmore College (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $84,103 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $65,494. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $23,149 a year, and it ranges from $7,690 for families earning under $30,000 to $47,544 for families earning over $110,000. 19% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Swarthmore College graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Swarthmore College students ten years after entry are $80,257 ($56,211 at the six-year mark). 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $17,500; 11% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Swarthmore College compares in Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College ranks #2 most selective of 62 schools in Pennsylvania in our database.
Among the 62 Pennsylvania schools we track, Swarthmore College ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Pennsylvania (5%) and Carnegie Mellon University (12%) sit nearby, which makes Pennsylvania a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Swarthmore College
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Swarthmore College with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Bowdoin College, Colby College, and Pomona College. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Swarthmore College's acceptance rate?
Swarthmore College admitted 992 of 14,287 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 6.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 42% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Swarthmore College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1490 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1560 is in the top quarter of admits. Swarthmore College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Swarthmore College test-optional?
Yes. Swarthmore College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Swarthmore College cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Swarthmore College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $23,149 a year against a sticker price of about $84,103. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,690 on average.
What do Swarthmore College graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Swarthmore College are $80,257 a year among students who received federal aid, and 92% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Swarthmore College value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Swarthmore College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Swarthmore College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Swarthmore College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Swarthmore College?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Swarthmore College specifically.
Can I get into Swarthmore College with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at Swarthmore College. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.