Swarthmore College welcomes 407 first-year students and 10 transfer students into the campus community this week, as the 2014-15 academic year officially begins on Monday, Sept. 1.  This is the start of the College's 146th year of instruction.

The first-year class was selected from among 5,540 applicants, of whom 17 percent were offered admission.

"I am excited to welcome another talented and diverse class to Swarthmore College," says Jim Bock '90, vice president and dean of admissions. "Thirteen percent of this year’s first year students are foreign nationals, the largest number of international students in the college’s history.  The interest in a collaborative and residential liberal arts education from such a diverse set of 417 students will help lead them to thrive in our vibrant community of engaged scholars and to make a meaningful impact on the world."

The Class of 2018 comprises 200 women and 207 men. Among the domestic students, six percent identify themselves as African American, 12 percent as Hispanic/Latina/o/multiracial, 16 percent as Asian American, one as Native American, one as Native Hawaiian, and six percent as multiracial, non-Hispanic. Thirteen percent are non-U.S. citizens. In addition, 15 percent are the first generation in their family to attend college and 10 students indicate a Quaker affiliation.  

Thirty-eight states are represented by the members of the incoming class as well as the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania is the most popular location for high schools among the new class, followed by California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and Illinois.

The Class of 2018 contains 88 members who are either dual citizens, permanent residents, or non-U.S. citizens representing Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Guyana, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, and Vietnam.

Fifty-five percent of the new students attended public high schools, twenty-nine percent private independent schools, four percent parochial schools, and eleven percent schools overseas. At least two students were home-schooled.

The most popular anticipated majors among Swarthmore's newest students are engineering, economics, political science, biology, English, mathematics, physics, computer science, and chemistry.