Home
Colleges
Swarthmore College
Academics

Swarthmore College
Academics

Back to Profile

How strong are the academics at Swarthmore College?

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

8:1
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 8:1. 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
136
10-19
164
20-29
60
30-39
42
40-49
8
50-99
8
100+
1

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:

97%
First-year retention rate
76%
4-year grad rate
94%
6-year grad rate

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
Engineering, General
Mathematics, General
Political Science and Government, General
23.2
30.16
37.12
44.08
51.04
58

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 2
  • African-American/Black Studies 2
  • Women's Studies 1
  • African Studies 0
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 0
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 0
  • Russian Studies 0
  • French Studies 0
  • German Studies 0
  • Area Studies, Other 0
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 0
  • Folklore Studies 0
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Neuroscience 18
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 14
  • Biochemistry 9
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 2
  • Biophysics 0
  • Biometry/Biometrics 0
  • Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other 0
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 46
Education
  • Education, General 13
  • Education, Other 12
  • Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other 0
Engineering
  • Engineering, General 33
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 10
  • Literature, Other 0
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other 0
Foreign Languages
  • Linguistics 4
  • Chinese Language and Literature 2
  • Russian Language and Literature 2
  • Japanese Language and Literature 1
  • Spanish Language and Literature 1
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature 1
  • Comparative Literature 0
  • French Language and Literature 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Latin Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, Other 0
History
  • History, General 5
  • History, Other 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 30
  • Applied Mathematics, Other 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology 5
  • Cognitive Science, General 5
  • Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 2
  • International/Globalization Studies 2
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 0
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 0
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
  • Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis 0
  • Sustainability Studies 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 10
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 8
  • Religion/Religious Studies 3
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
  • Islamic Studies 0
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 9
  • Chemistry, General 7
  • Astrophysics 4
  • Astronomy 1
  • Geophysics and Seismology 1
  • Chemical Physics 0
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 0
  • Physical Sciences, Other 0
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 15
  • Psychology, General 0
  • Behavioral Neuroscience 0
  • Social Psychology 0
  • Psychology, Other 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 0
  • Health Policy Analysis 0
  • Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other 0
Social Sciences
  • Economics, General 58
  • Political Science and Government, General 29
  • Sociology and Anthropology 13
  • Medical Anthropology 4
  • Social Sciences, Other 2
  • Political Science and Government, Other 1
  • Social Sciences, General 0
  • Anthropology, Other 0
  • Archeology 0
  • Criminology 0
  • Development Economics and International Development 0
  • International Relations and Affairs 0
  • Sociology, General 0
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 8
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 4
  • Music, General 4
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 2
  • Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other 2
  • Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 1
  • Dance, General 0
  • Industrial and Product Design 0
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 0
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0
  • Musicology and Ethnomusicology 0
  • Music, Other 0
  • Visual and Performing Arts, Other 0

Mistakes were made

(But not by you!)

These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges

Top Ten Mistakes

CollegeIQ relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

© 2025 Whittier Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service