Swarthmore College is one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the United States, full stop. But its admissions process hasn’t always been as competitive as it currently is. With the Class of 2030 admission cycle in the rearview, it’s time we assess whether any admissions records were broken this year, what this year’s statistics look like in the context of Swarthmore’s historical acceptance rates, and what waitlisted applicants to Swarthmore’s Class of 2030 should do now that their applications have been suspended in limbo. 

Swarthmore College Admissions Statistics (Class of 2030 – Class of 2018)

Swarthmore College Class Year	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2030	13,029	969	7.44%
Class of 2029	12,995	977	7.52%
Class of 2028	13,065	975	7.46%
Class of 2027	14,287	992	6.94%
Class of 2026	14,707	1,019	6.93%
Class of 2025	13,012	1,013	7.79%
Class of 2024	11,630	1,054	9.06%
Class of 2023	11,442	1,022	8.93%
Class of 2022	10,749	1,020	9.49%
Class of 2021	9,382	1,004	10.70%
Class of 2020	7,717	988	12.80%
Class of 2019	7,818	976	12.48%
Class of 2018	5,540	943	17.02%

Swarthmore Class of 2030 Statistics in Historical Perspective

13,029 students applied to join Swarthmore’s Class of 2030, a number that doesn’t best any records for most applicants (a title currently held by the Class of 2026, in which 14,707 students tried their hand at becoming Swatties), but has bested the Class of 2029’s 12,995 applicants by 34 heads. The 7.44% acceptance rate this year aligns with recent trends, as over the last five years, an average of 7.26% of applicants were admitted to Swarthmore.

Taken as a whole, this year’s results aren’t anything special, but also nothing for Swarthmore admissions officials to beat themselves up over. A 7.44% acceptance rate, despite not being a personal best, certainly places Swarthmore among the most selective colleges in the nation and likely makes it the envy of peer institutions that have struggled to maintain high selectivity this year.

Profile of Swarthmore College Admits to the Class of 2030

In a refreshing turn of events, Swarthmore admissions officers have bucked the trend prevalent at other schools this year of refusing to divulge any demographic information on the Class of 2030 by supplying us with pretty much all the details we could ask for (sans racial/ethnic data, as collecting this information would run counter to the 2023 SCOTUS ruling outlawing race-based affirmative action). As reported in a Swarthmore press release, “Twenty-five percent of the admitted students are first-generation college students. A total of 26% are affiliated with local, national, and international community-based organizations, such as Bridge2Rwanda, College Match, EducationUSA, Heights Philadelphia, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Matriculate, Prep for Prep, QuestBridge, The Sutton Trust, TeenSharp, and The Wight Foundation.”

The press release continues, “Sixty-one percent of the admitted students attend public or charter schools, 29% attend private independent schools, 9% attend religious schools, and 1% are home-schooled. Among all the students, 13% are enrolled in schools abroad, and 6% attend rural public high schools.

Of the admitted students attending high schools that report class rank, 94% are in the top decile.”

As if this treasure trove of information wasn’t enough, there’s yet more to unpack for the Class of 2030: “The admitted students span six continents and 71 nations, including international citizens, dual citizens, and permanent residents. All 50 U.S. states are represented, as well as the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. California is the most highly represented home state of members in the newly admitted class. Rounding out the top 15 with double-digit admits, in order, are New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Connecticut, Illinois, Ohio, Arizona, and Washington.

Engineering is the most popular intended major among the admitted students. Next, in order, are political science, economics, English literature, biology, mathematics and statistics, philosophy, biochemistry, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, physics, music, history, and environmental studies.”

Ivy Coach’s Swarthmore Waitlist Assistance

Let Ivy Coach alleviate the stress of navigating the Swarthmore College waitlist without help. We will assist you in getting your or your child’s application out of waitlist limbo, but you must move quickly to give us the best shot at improving your odds of admission.

If you’re interested in enlisting our help with Swarthmore admission from the waitlist, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form. We’ll then be in touch to delineate our services, including our go-forward service for waitlisted candidates led by our team of former elite college admissions officers. Time is of the essence, so don’t delay in contacting us!