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Academics

Swarthmore College
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Swarthmore College?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

7:1
Student to faculty ratio
17
Average class size
76%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Swarthmore has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
137
10-19
156
20-29
68
30-39
33
40-49
9
50-99
9
100+
3

Honors Programs

Swarthmore College has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Swarthmore's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Swarthmore College:

94%
First-year retention rate
76%
4-year grad rate
92%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $71,637. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$71,637
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Swarthmore College's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Economics, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Engineering, General
Mathematics, General
23.4
30.12
36.84
43.56
50.28
57

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Area Studies, Other 2
  • German Studies 2
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 2
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 1
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
  • African Studies 1
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 0
  • Disability Studies 0
  • Folklore Studies 0
  • Women's Studies 0
  • African-American/Black Studies 0
  • Area Studies, Other 0
  • French Studies 0
  • Russian Studies 0
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 0
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 22
  • Neuroscience 15
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 11
  • Biochemistry 8
  • Biophysics 2
  • Biochemistry 1
  • Biometry/Biometrics 0
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 0
  • Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other 0
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 0
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 56
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 31
Education
  • Education, Other 11
  • Education, General 3
  • Education, General 2
  • Education, Other 2
  • Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other 0
Engineering
  • Engineering, General 29
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 15
  • English Language and Literature, General 3
  • Literature, Other 0
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other 0
Foreign Languages
  • Linguistics 6
  • French Language and Literature 5
  • Spanish Language and Literature 4
  • Linguistics 3
  • Russian Language and Literature 3
  • Japanese Language and Literature 2
  • Russian Language and Literature 2
  • Comparative Literature 1
  • Latin Language and Literature 1
  • Japanese Language and Literature 1
  • French Language and Literature 1
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 1
  • Chinese Language and Literature 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
  • Spanish Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, Other 0
History
  • History, General 5
  • History, General 3
  • History, Other 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 29
  • Mathematics, General 27
  • Applied Mathematics, Other 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 5
  • Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 4
  • Cognitive Science, General 3
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 3
  • Cognitive Science, General 2
  • International/Globalization Studies 2
  • Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 1
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 1
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 1
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 1
  • Sustainability Studies 0
  • Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis 0
  • International/Globalization Studies 0
  • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics 0
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 0
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 0
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 9
  • Environmental Studies 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 13
  • Religion/Religious Studies 7
  • Religion/Religious Studies 4
  • Philosophy 2
  • Islamic Studies 1
  • Islamic Studies 1
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 0
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 8
  • Chemistry, General 7
  • Astrophysics 2
  • Physics, General 2
  • Chemical Physics 1
  • Chemical Physics 1
  • Physical Sciences, Other 0
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 0
  • Geophysics and Seismology 0
  • Astronomy 0
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 23
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 2
  • Psychology, Other 1
  • Behavioral Neuroscience 0
  • Psychology, General 0
  • Social Psychology 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Health Policy Analysis 0
  • Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other 0
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 0
Social Sciences
  • Economics, General 57
  • Political Science and Government, General 22
  • Economics, General 21
  • Sociology and Anthropology 11
  • Political Science and Government, General 4
  • Medical Anthropology 4
  • Political Science and Government, Other 3
  • Social Sciences, Other 3
  • Sociology and Anthropology 2
  • Anthropology, Other 2
  • Medical Anthropology 2
  • Social Sciences, Other 1
  • Criminology 1
  • Social Sciences, General 1
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 0
  • Sociology, General 0
  • Archeology 0
  • International Relations and Affairs 0
  • Development Economics and International Development 0
  • Criminology 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 7
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 5
  • Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 3
  • Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 3
  • Dance, General 3
  • Music, General 3
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 3
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 2
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 2
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 1
  • Dance, General 1
  • Music, General 1
  • Art/Art Studies, General 1
  • Industrial and Product Design 0
  • Musicology and Ethnomusicology 0
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 0
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other 0
  • Music, Other 0
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