Swarthmore College facts for kids
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| Motto | Mind the Light |
|---|---|
| Type | Private liberal arts college |
| Established | 1864 |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $2.7 billion (2022) |
| President | Valerie Smith |
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Academic staff
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207 (2019) |
| Undergraduates | 1,730 (2025) |
| Location |
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
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| Campus | Suburban, 425 acres (172 ha) |
| College newspaper | The Phoenix |
| Colors | Garnet and White |
| Nickname | The Garnet |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division III – Centennial Conference |
| Mascot | Phineas the Phoenix |
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Swarthmore College is a private college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA. It focuses on liberal arts, which means it offers a wide range of subjects. The college was started in 1864 and held its first classes in 1869. It was one of the first colleges in the United States to allow both boys and girls to study together.
Swarthmore College was first set up by the Religious Society of Friends. By 1906, it became a non-religious school. Swarthmore is a four-year college only for undergraduate students. It is part of the Tri-College Consortium with Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. Students can also take classes at the University of Pennsylvania through the Quaker Consortium.
Many famous people have graduated from Swarthmore. These include six Nobel Prize winners and 13 MacArthur Foundation fellows. Graduates have also won Tony Awards, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards.
Contents
History of Swarthmore College
The name "Swarthmore" comes from early Quaker history in England. Swarthmoor Hall was a meeting place for the Religious Society of Friends. This group is also known as "The Quakers."
Swarthmore College was founded in 1864 by Deborah Fisher Wharton and her son, Joseph Wharton. They worked with other Quakers from Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore. The college held its first classes in 1869. Edward Parrish was the first president. Important Quaker women like Lucretia Mott and Martha Ellicott Tyson made sure the new college would be for both boys and girls.
Helen Magill, who graduated in 1873, was in the first class. In 1877, she became the first woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D.
In the early 1900s, Swarthmore had a strong American football program. They played against big schools like Navy and Princeton. In 1921, Frank Aydelotte became president. He helped the school focus more on academics. He started the Honors program, which is still a big part of the college today.
During World War II, Swarthmore was one of many colleges that helped train students for the U.S. Navy.
Famous psychologists like Wolfgang Köhler, Hans Wallach, and Solomon Asch taught at Swarthmore. They were important in the field of Gestalt psychology. Asch even did his famous conformity experiments at Swarthmore.
The 1960s and 1970s saw new buildings added to the campus. Students also spoke up about important issues. In 1969, African-American students held a sit-in to ask for more black students to be admitted. The college also created a Black Cultural Center in 1970 and a Women's Resource Center in 1974.
In the 1990s, new programs and buildings were added. The Environmental Studies program started in 1992. The Lang Performing Arts Center opened in 1993.
Since 1999, Swarthmore has used renewable energy credits from wind power. In 2008, the college got its first mascot, Phineas the Phoenix.
Academics at Swarthmore
Swarthmore has a special Honors Program, started in 1922. It lets students take advanced classes called seminars in their third year. Students often write long research papers called honors theses. These seminars are usually small, with only four to eight students. At the end of their final year, Honors students take exams given by experts from outside the college.
Swarthmore also has an engineering program. This is unusual for a liberal arts college. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in engineering. Other interesting programs include minors in peace and conflict studies and cognitive science.
The college has about 1,620 undergraduate students. There are 187 faculty members, and almost all of them have the highest degree in their field. This means there are about 8 students for every teacher. The college offers more than 600 courses each year in over 40 areas of study.
The most popular subjects for students who graduated in 2021 were:
- Economics
- Biology/Biological Sciences
- Computer & Information Sciences
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Research & Experimental Psychology
College Rankings
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 3 |
|---|---|
| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 4 |
| Forbes | 27 |
Swarthmore is often called one of the "Little Ivies." These are small, highly respected colleges. U.S. News & World Report ranked Swarthmore as the third-best liberal arts college in the nation for 2025. Only Williams and Amherst were ranked higher. Swarthmore has been ranked as the number one liberal arts college six times in the past.
Forbes magazine ranked Swarthmore 27th among the top 500 U.S. colleges and universities in 2024-25.
Swarthmore is also known for its graduates who go on to earn Ph.D.s. It ranked third among all U.S. colleges for the percentage of graduates who earned Ph.D.s between 2013 and 2022.
The Princeton Review has named Swarthmore a "Best Value" private college multiple times. This means it offers great academics at a good price.
Admissions to Swarthmore
| Admissions statistics | |
|---|---|
|
2022 entering
classChange vs. 2017 |
|
| Admit rate | 6.9%
(
 −3.8) |
| Yield rate | 42%
(
 +3) |
| Test scores middle 50%* | |
| SAT EBRW | 710–770
(
+20 median) |
| SAT Math | 730–790
(
+20 median) |
| ACT Composite | 32–35
(
+1 median) |
| High school GPA† | |
| Top 10% | 89%
(
 −2) |
| Top 25% | 100%
(
+1) |
|
|
Swarthmore is a very selective college. For the 2016–2017 school year, only about 10.7% of applicants were accepted. This was one of the highest numbers of applicants in the college's history. Many of the accepted students were the first in their families to go to college. Also, 94% of admitted students who reported their class rank were in the top 10% of their high school class. For the class of 2022, about 7.78% of applicants were admitted.
What Graduates Do
After graduating from Swarthmore, about 15% of students go straight to graduate school. Within five years, 75% of alumni are in graduate programs. They often attend top universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The most common fields for graduate studies are science, humanities, social sciences, and engineering.
Swarthmore graduates also earn good salaries. According to PayScale, their average starting salary is $70,800. Their average mid-career salary is $142,900. This places Swarthmore graduates among the highest earners compared to other college graduates.
Paying for Swarthmore
Swarthmore is a "need-blind" school. This means that when they decide if a student can be admitted, they do not look at how much money the student's family has. They decide on admission and financial aid separately.
For the 2024–25 school year, the total cost for tuition, fees, room, and board was $85,802. Swarthmore helps students pay for college by meeting 100% of their demonstrated financial need. They do this without using student loans. This means students receive grants and scholarships that they do not have to pay back.
About 56% of students receive financial aid. In the 2017–18 year, the average financial aid award was $50,361.
Swarthmore has one of the largest endowments (money saved for the future) per student in the country. This large endowment helps the college provide financial aid and support its programs. In 2007, the college decided to stop including student loans in financial aid packages. Instead, they give more scholarships.
Swarthmore Campus
The campus covers about 425 acres (1.72 km2). It is known for its beauty. Travel + Leisure named Swarthmore one of the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S. in 2011.
The main building is Parrish Hall. It has offices, student lounges, and student housing. The college radio station, WSRN-FM, and the student newspaper, The Phoenix, are also in Parrish Hall.
The campus is also home to the Scott Arboretum. This is a beautiful garden with many different plants. Most classrooms and offices are north of Parrish Hall. The dining hall is south of Parrish. The Crum Woods are to the west, offering views of the forest.
Swarthmore has three main libraries: McCabe Library, the Cornell Library of Science and Engineering, and the Underhill Music and Dance Library. There are also seven other special collections.
Friends Historical Library
The Friends Historical Library was started in 1871. It collects old records about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). These records cover Quaker history from the 1600s to today. The library also has important information about the history of the middle-Atlantic region of the U.S.
Quakers were involved in many important social changes in American history. These include the fight against slavery (abolition), women's rights, and prison reform. The library also has records about how Quakers helped develop science, technology, education, and business.
The library also keeps the Swarthmore College Archives. These include the papers of the Swarthmore Historical Society. Inside the archives is the Swarthmore College Peace Collection (SCPC). This collection has papers from Jane Addams, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. It also has materials about women's activism from over 59 countries. The SCPC started when a board member convinced Jane Addams to donate her old papers instead of burning them.
Student Life at Swarthmore
About 1,647 students, called "Swatties," attend Swarthmore. Many students come from different backgrounds.
Mock Trial Team
Swarthmore has a successful mock trial team, started in 2000. They have done very well in national competitions. In 2000, they placed tenth at the national championship. In 2001, they placed second. The team has won many awards and had over 25 members in the 2013–2014 season.
Student Groups
Until 2019, Swarthmore had two fraternities: Delta Upsilon and Phi Psi. Sororities were not allowed for many years. However, in 2013, a sorority chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta was reestablished.
In April 2019, documents from the Phi Psi fraternity were made public. These documents contained inappropriate content and messages. Students protested and asked the college to end all fraternity leases. Both Delta Upsilon and Phi Psi decided to close down on April 30, 2019. The college president then announced on May 10, 2019, that Greek letter organizations were no longer allowed at Swarthmore.
Campus Media
The Swarthmore Phoenix
The Swarthmore Phoenix is the college's independent campus newspaper. It has been published since 1881 or 1882. The name "Phoenix" comes from a story about Parrish Hall. After a fire in 1881, the building was quickly rebuilt, like the mythical bird rising from ashes.
The newspaper was first published monthly, then every two weeks. Now, it comes out weekly. The Phoenix first appeared online in September 1995.
Voices and The Daily Gazette
Voices was started in 2017. It is an online news publication that aims to share stories from different groups of students. In May 2018, The Daily Gazette, which had been published since 1996, joined with The Phoenix.
Magazines
Swarthmore has several magazines, usually published twice a year.
- Spike is the college's humor magazine, founded in 1993.
- Literary magazines include Nacht, Small Craft Warnings, Scarlet Letters, and Enie (for Spanish literature).
- Visibility Zine features literature and art from historically underrepresented groups.
- OURstory focuses on diversity issues.
- There are also magazines for science fiction, Asian literature, academic writing, and French literature.
- Pun/ctum is a photography magazine.
Radio Station
WSRN 91.5 FM is the college radio station. It plays a variety of music, including indie, rock, hip-hop, and classical music. It also has radio talk shows.
In the past, WSRN had a strong news department. Today, it mostly focuses on entertainment. However, some news programs like War News Radio and The Sudan Radio Project do broadcast on WSRN. "Oído al Tambor" is the longest-running show, focusing on news and music from Latin America. It has been on air since September 2006.
Student Groups and Societies
A Cappella Groups
Swarthmore has several collegiate a cappella groups. These groups sing without instruments.
- Sixteen Feet is the oldest group, started in 1981, and is all-male.
- Grapevine is the all-female group, started in 1983.
- Mixed Company is a co-ed group.
- Essence of Soul is the all-black group.
- OffBeat was founded in 2013 and is open to all genders.
- Chaverim includes students from the Tri-College Consortium and sings music from around the world.
These groups are run by students and travel to other schools for concerts. Once a semester, all the groups perform together in a concert called Jamboree.
Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association
Swarthmore College students can join the local emergency department, the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association. Students are trained as firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). They are qualified at both state and national levels. The fire department responds to hundreds of calls each year.
Swarthmore College Computer Society
The Swarthmore College Computer Society (SCCS) is a student-run group. It provides web services for the college community. SCCS runs servers that offer email accounts, webspace, and storage to students, professors, and other student groups. SCCS also hosts many websites for student organizations.
SCCS has been recognized for its work. PC Magazine listed Swarthmore as one of the "Top 20 Wired Colleges" partly because of SCCS.
Sports at Swarthmore
Swarthmore's athletic department has 22 different sports teams. These include badminton, baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The college stopped its football team and wrestling programs in 2000.
The college also offers club sports like men's and women's rugby, ultimate frisbee, and fencing. About 40% of students play on a college team or club sport.
Swarthmore is a founding member of the Centennial Conference. This group includes private colleges in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Swarthmore is part of NCAA Division III.
The men's basketball team has been very successful. In the 2018–19 season, they reached the NCAA Division III Championship Game for the first time. In the 2019–20 season, they started with a 26–0 record. They were the last unbeaten team in all of NCAA Division I, II, and III. They were ranked No. 1 in the nation for the entire season.
Swarthmore has won 26 Centennial Conference team championships. They also claim four national championships in men's lacrosse (1900, 1904, 1905, 1910). The men's tennis team has won four national championships (1977, 1981, 1985, 1990). Women's track and field has won two individual national championships (2016, 2023).
Famous People from Swarthmore
Alumni (Graduates)
Many notable people have graduated from Swarthmore College.
- Six Nobel Prize winners are Swarthmore alumni. These include John Hopfield (Physics, 2024), John C. Mather (Physics, 2006), and David Baltimore (Physiology or Medicine, 1975).
- 13 MacArthur Fellows have also graduated from Swarthmore.
- Alumni are also prominent in law, art, science, business, and politics.
Some well-known alumni include:
- Michael Dukakis (1955), a former Governor of Massachusetts.
- Sandra Faber (1966), an astronomer known for her research on galaxies.
- Christiana Figueres (1979), a diplomat from Costa Rica who led the UN climate change efforts.
- Jonathan Franzen (1981), a famous novelist.
- Josh Green (1992), the current Governor of Hawaii.
- Stephen Lang (1973), a Tony Award-nominated actor.
- Carl Levin (1956), a former U.S. Senator from Michigan.
- James A. Michener (1929), a novelist who left a large gift to Swarthmore.
- Alice Paul (1905), a leader in the suffragist movement.
- Sally Ride, an astronaut and physicist, who was the first American woman in space. She attended Swarthmore for three semesters.
- Nancy Roman (1946), known as the 'mother of the Hubble telescope' at NASA.
- Robert Zoellick (1976), a former president of the World Bank.
Faculty (Teachers)
Many important scholars have taught at Swarthmore College.
- Solomon Asch, a psychologist known for his conformity experiments.
- Wolfgang Köhler, another famous Gestalt psychologist.
See also
In Spanish: Swarthmore College para niños
