Swarthmore has long been recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 educational institutions for placing students in the best business schools in the country, from where they go on to become successful entrepreneurs around the world. With a tendency to attract students who have already demonstrated in high school traits such as natural leadership, initiative, creative thinking, and insightfulness, Swarthmore encourages the development of these qualities through events sponsored by the new campus Center for Innovation and Leadership; SwatTank, a new business-plan competition; programs such as the annual Jonathan R. Lax ’71 Conference for Entrepreneurship; and visits by alumni speakers who have distinguished themselves in the business world.

This year, Swarthmore students further validated their entrepreneurial savvy by topping the score charts on the GMATs—the standardized test taken to gain admission to graduate business programs. According to Businessweek’s 2013 Best Business Schools worldwide rankings, Swarthmore bested prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and the Indian Institutes of Technology. Not too shabby for a small liberal arts college with no business major.

“A Swarthmore education, as many alumni demonstrate, prepares one well for a career in business and for entrepreneurship,” commented President Rebecca Chopp. “An effective entrepreneur must solve problems creatively, welcome diversity and its different perspectives as a wellspring of inclusive excellence, engage in collaboration across all positions and perspectives, and pursue visions passionately—all traits Swarthmore students and graduates practice daily.”

And the recognition doesn’t end with the nod to Swarthmoreans’ business acumen. According to a National Science Foundation survey that shows the national doctoral attainment rate between 2001 and 2011, Swarthmore ranked highest in the social sciences, third in humanities and life sciences, fifth in science and engineering, and fourth highest overall among all institutions around the country.

—Carol Brévart-Demm