May 26, 2026
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Starting in 2027, Swarthmore College will have a program that covers all tuition costs for students whose families earn $200,000 or less. The private liberal arts college in Delaware County has a total enrollment of about 1,700 students.
Swarthmore College, the private liberal arts school in Delaware County, plans to begin offering a tuition-free education to students whose parents earn less than $200,000 starting next year.
The college unveiled its Swarthmore Tuition Guarantee program on Monday, calling the new aid packages a commitment to access and affordability in higher education.
“We recognize the complexities families face when navigating the costs of college, and one of our goals for the Swarthmore Tuition Guarantee is simplifying our message on affordability," Swarthmore President Valerie Smith said in a statement. "We also want to demonstrate to families that — even if you’re earning $200,000, $250,000, $300,000 per year and, in some cases, more — you may qualify for financial aid at Swarthmore.”
Under the program, families earning under $200,000 may be eligible to have the cost of a student's education — not including room and board — covered by financial aid. For the 2026–2027 academic year, tuition ($72,722), housing ($11,676), food ($10,890) and student activities fee ($482) totaled over $95,000, according to the school's website.
Families who earn above the $200,000 threshold may still quality for aid packages, which are determined based on the number of children currently attending college and the cost of living where the family resides. The school takes into account families that hold "typical assets," including financial savings and investments outside of defined retirement plans.
Only about 12% of U.S. households earn more than $200,000 annually.
“We hope it communicates to families that their financial circumstances are not a barrier to a transformational liberal arts education at Swarthmore," Smith said.
Swarthmore focuses exclusively on undergraduate education and has a total enrollment of about 1,700 students. Of the 13,029 applications the college received for the 2026 freshman class, about 7.4% of applicants were admitted.
The college is embracing a trend in higher education to make academic opportunities more attainable. The University of Pennsylvania expanded its financial aid program two years ago, bumping the income threshold for full-tuition scholarships from $140,000 to $200,000 and removing the valuation of a family's home from aid determinations. Temple University's Promise program offers "last-dollar" grants for students whose families earn $65,000 or less, covering the remaining tuition and eligible fees after all other aid is applied to a student’s tuition account.
Other Pennsylvania schools that have started affordability initiatives include Bryn Mawr College, Lehigh University, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Dickinson College in Carlisle.
Swarthmore said its financial aid methodology and application process will not change when the new program begins in fall 2027. The program is open to domestic students only, though international applicants may be eligible for aid that covers all of their tuition and other expenses.
Swarthmore's financial aid program is fully covered by its endowment and will increase to $71 million in the 2026-27 academic year. The college said it already provides aid to more than 55% of its students, averaging about $75,000 per year. Swarthmore also has a textbook affordability program that offers an $800 annual credit for course materials.
