Tuition, Books, Housing & Food Plan, Activities Fee

Swarthmore awarded more than $65 million in need-based scholarship aid to 56% of our students for the 2025-26 academic year. Financial aid awards ranged from $1,000 to the full cost of attendance. In fact, the average aid decision for 2024-25 was $74,992.The maximum financial aid decision includes the College's total billed charges as well as allowances for books, personal expenses, and travel between a student's home and Swarthmore.
College Billed Charges for the 2025-2026 Academic Year
Total Billed Charges — $90,692
* The billed costs of housing and food are the same for all meal plans and residence halls/room types. The student activities fee is a comprehensive fee that covers all student clubs, activities, and campus events.
Non-billed charges
Non-billed charges are expenses that aren't listed on your College bill, like personal expenses, travel, and supplies. When we calculate your financial aid, we include these costs to get a full picture of your financial need. That means your aid can help cover more than just tuition, fees, textbooks, housing, and meals.
- Course materials, supplies and equipment —$785
Transportation — Varies
Personal Expenses — $1,695
Student Health Insurance* — Varies
Total cost of attendance — $93,172
Please visit our Student Accounts Office website for information on previous years’ tuition and fees. To estimate your expected cost of attendance, use the Net Price Calculator. While many factors may influence yearly tuition estimates, typically, we project an approximately 4-5% tuition increase year over year.
*Students who have no medical insurance or insurance that does not meet the minimum requirements of the college, are eligible for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Financially aided students may be eligible to receive a discount on the cost of Swarthmore College’s annual health insurance premium based on the level of need-based Swarthmore financial aid that the student receives. The discount ranges from 25 - 100% of the cost of the annual health insurance premium.