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Swarthmore College
Admissions

Interested in attending Swarthmore College?

On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Swarthmore College, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.

8
%
Acceptance rate
January 4
Regular admission deadline

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Swarthmore College?

8%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Swarthmore accepted 8% of applicants. We classify this as most selective.

In the most recent year, 12,995 people applied and 977 were accepted.

Accepted/Applied
Women
505 / 7286 (7%)
Men
472 / 5709 (8%)

Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Swarthmore College:

100%
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
2024
2025
2026

Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.

44%
Enrollment of those accepted
High
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 44% ended up enrolling at Swarthmore College, making their yield rate High. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.

Application Factors

You can increase your chances of getting into Swarthmore College by looking at what the school considers during the application process.

Here are the things Swarthmore considers:

Very Important

  • Academic GPA
  • Application Essay
  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Class Rank
  • Recommendation(s)
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record

Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • First Generation
  • Geographical Residence
  • Interview
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • State Residency
  • Talent/Ability
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Not Considered

  • Level of Applicant's Interest

Grades & Testing

Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Swarthmore College?

Grades

87% of freshmen who attended Swarthmore were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 98% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

39%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

16%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
740
75th Percentile
790
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
740
75th Percentile
770
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1480
75th Percentile
1550

Application Deadlines

These are the deadlines for applying to Swarthmore College. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.

Regular Admissions

January 4
Regular admission deadline
April 1
Application notification

Early Decision

Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision.

November 15
Applications Due
December 16
Notification Date
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