Visiting Students
Swarthmore policy on being a visiting student
Swarthmore College regretfully does not allow local residents or visitors to regularly attend our undergraduate degree program classes. Swarthmore College has a longstanding commitment to small class size, and one way we limit our class sizes is by restricting access to classes to our degree candidates and to students in our approved exchange programs (see list below).
Other options to consider:
- Swarthmore's Lifelong Learning Program offers seminar-style classes with other educated adults
- Delaware County Community College has programs for young people and adults
- University of Pennsylvania's College of Liberal and Professional Studies has programs for college students, post-baccalaureate students, and seniors
Permitted Visiting Students:
Enrollment permission depends on faculty instructor approval and is normally limited to the space-available basis after serving Swarthmore degree candidates.
- Bryn Mawr, Haverford, or UPenn students on the exchange programs with those schools. Registration form.
- Alumni of Swarthmore College may audit for no charge or they may pay per credit to earn more credit. Complete the Registration form and the Hold Harmless form.
- Faculty and Staff or their spouses/partners according to rules for them (see, for example, the Employee Handbook). Registration form.
- Children of faculty or staff who are degree candidates elsewhere or degree holders may audit for no charge or attend here and pay to earn credit, earning up to three credits here as needed for a particular goal, usually to facilitate admission to a graduate or professional program, not for general course work. Registration form.
- Pendle Hill residents (for audit only). Registration form. Hold Harmless form.
- Students participating in approved limited exchanges, such as in the programs with: Middlebury College, Pomona College, Tufts University, the University of Tokyo and Ashesi University. Such students settle financially with their home institution.
- Strath Haven High School students, procedure starts at Strath Haven High School.
- Full-time visiting students who are undergraduate degree candidates in good standing elsewhere and who have sought and received special approval of Swarthmore Admissions to be full-time visiting students here. Such students settle financially with Swarthmore.
