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The real 4-year cost of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Swarthmore College went from $36,490 to $73,204, an average of 4.0% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $73,204Tuition $72,722 + student activities fee $482 (5.75% increase).source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition drop or reset, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $36,490 | – | – |
| 2009 | $37,860 | – | – |
| 2010 | $39,600 | – | – |
| 2011 | $41,150 | – | – |
| 2012 | $43,080 | – | – |
| 2013 | $44,718 | – | – |
| 2014 | $46,060 | – | – |
| 2015 | $47,442 | – | – |
| 2016 | $49,104 | – | – |
| 2017 | $50,822 | – | – |
| 2018 | $52,588 | – | – |
| 2019 | $54,656 | – | – |
| 2020 | $54,456 | – | – |
| 2021 | $56,056 | – | – |
| 2022 | $59,328 | – | – |
| 2023 | $62,412 | – | – |
| 2026 | $73,204 | $73,204 | – |
| 2027 | – | $76,148 | $75,147–$77,150 |
| 2028 | – | $79,211 | $77,141–$81,309 |
| 2029 | – | $82,397 | $79,188–$85,691 |
| 2030 | – | $85,711 | $81,289–$90,311 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $73,204 |
| Year 2 | $76,148 |
| Year 3 | $79,211 |
| Year 4 | $82,397 |
| 4-year total | $310,960 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $270,960
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $156,527
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $22,566/ yr
- rising 4.5% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $96,490
School’s own published rateHousing $11,676 + food $10,890.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Swarthmore College4-year schools with similar prices in Pennsylvania
Closest to Swarthmore College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Bryn Mawr College$73,441
- Bucknell University$73,500
- University of Pennsylvania$73,978
- Villanova University$74,014
- Gettysburg College$71,730
- Dickinson College$71,650
- Franklin and Marshall College$75,116
- Lafayette College$70,846
Use this data
Published figures for Swarthmore College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.