CostByCollegePrivate nonprofit, 4-year institution
How much does Swarthmore cost
Swarthmore College is in Swarthmore, PA. Total enrollment is 1,644 students, with 1,644 undergraduates.
The total cost for one year at Swarthmore College is $84,103 for in state students, living on campus. Tuition and fees alone come to $62,412 of that total.
The cost breakdown
The total below uses the on campus figures for room, board, and other expenses. Each total is the sum of the rows above it, with nothing added and nothing left out.
| Item | Cost for one year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, in state | $61,992 |
| Required fees, in state | $420 |
| Books and supplies | $760 |
| Room and board, on campus | $18,964 |
| Other expenses, on campus | $1,967 |
| Total cost for one year, in state | $84,103 |
Average net price
The average net price at Swarthmore College is $17,930 for one year. Net price is the total cost minus grant and scholarship aid, averaged across full time, first time students who were awarded grant or scholarship aid, for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. It is an average, not a quote. A particular student can pay far less or close to the full published total, depending on family income and the aid the school offers.
That average net price is $74 below the average of $18,004 across the pilot schools on this site that publish a net price.
Cost weighed against outcomes
Median earnings ten years after entry are $80,257 a year. That figure covers students who received federal aid, who were working and not enrolled in further study at the ten year mark.
Median debt at graduation is $17,500. That is the median federal loan debt of students who completed a program at this school.
Put together, one year of median earnings at the ten year mark is about 4.6 times the median debt at graduation. That framing is rough. Earnings grow over a career, debt is usually repaid over many years, and both figures are medians across large groups, not a result any one student is promised.
The graduation rate is 94%. It measures the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.
How this school compares
Against its state: That is $15,138 above the Pennsylvania pilot school average of $68,965.
Against the country: That is $41,440 above the national pilot school average of $42,663.
State and national averages here are simple averages across the pilot schools that publish a total cost, 8 schools in Pennsylvania and 293 schools nationwide on this site. They describe the schools listed on this site, not every college in the state or the country.
Admissions at a glance
The acceptance rate at Swarthmore College is 6.9% for fall 2023, from 14,287 applicants and 992 admitted students. Read the acceptance rate page for Swarthmore for the full picture, including how the rate compares.
Similar schools to compare
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Total cost $83,697 for one year.
- Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Total cost $81,413 for one year.
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Total cost $89,028 for one year.
- Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania. Total cost $90,382 for one year.
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Total cost $44,756 for one year.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Swarthmore cost per year?
The total cost for one year at Swarthmore College is $84,103 for in state students, living on campus. It counts tuition, required fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other expenses.
What is the average net price at Swarthmore?
The average net price at Swarthmore College is $17,930 for one year, for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Net price is the total cost minus grant and scholarship aid, averaged across the students described on this page.
What do graduates of Swarthmore earn and owe?
Median earnings ten years after entry are $80,257 a year, and median debt at graduation is $17,500, in the College Scorecard data used here. Both are medians across large groups, not a promise for any one student.
What is the graduation rate at Swarthmore?
The graduation rate at Swarthmore College is 94%, measuring the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.
What is the acceptance rate at Swarthmore?
The acceptance rate at Swarthmore College is 6.9% for fall 2023, from 14,287 applicants and 992 admitted students. The acceptance rate page on this site explains what that figure does and does not mean.
Is Swarthmore public or private?
Swarthmore College is a private nonprofit, 4-year institution in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Total enrollment is 1,644 students.
Sources: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard, United States Department of Education. Tuition and cost figures are for the 2023 to 2024 academic year. Admissions figures are for fall 2023. Average net price figures are for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Earnings and debt figures come from the College Scorecard file dated June 10, 2026. See the methodology page for full detail.