Safety Score
31.63 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Swarthmore, PA · Clery Act 2023 · Private Nonprofit
Swarthmore College
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 1,644-student campus.
- 31.63
- Incidents / 1k students
- #3,036
- Rank of 3,050
- #135
- PA rank
- 1,644
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Swarthmore College reports 31.63 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #3,036 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses.
- 31.63
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #3,036
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 36
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Swarthmore College increased from 12 to 36 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSwarthmore College is a Private Nonprofit institution located in Swarthmore, PA, enrolling approximately 1,644 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 58 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within PA, it ranks #135 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 1,644 enrolled students, this campus sits in the small college bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Swarthmore College is "Burglary" with 23 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in PA averaging 0.36 incidents per 1,000 students, Swarthmore College reports 8567% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 16 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
Swarthmore College's safety score of 31.63 incidents per 1,000 students places it in the bottom 0.5% of the 3,050 institutions this survey ranks nationally, meaning the reported incident rate here is higher than at nearly all peer institutions in the dataset. As our methodology explains, a higher reported rate can reflect a more active reporting culture rather than a more dangerous campus, and does not by itself indicate the actual likelihood of experiencing a crime.
National Rank
#3036
See peer comparison
State Rank (PA)
#135
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
36
across 11 crime categories
Safety percentile vs. peers
Swarthmore College percentile rank 0.5%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #3036 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Swarthmore College reports 8567% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $65,494
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $65,494
- Avg Net Price
- $23,149
- Median Debt
- $17,500
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 19%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- SAT Average
- 1534
- SAT Math Range
- 750–790
- ACT Average
- 34
- ACT Range
- 33–35
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 93%
- Retention Rate
- 94%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $56,211
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $80,257
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 91%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlySwarthmore College: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 260% (10 → 36 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arson | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Burglary | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| Fondling | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 1 | 13 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 10 | 40 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 12 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 9 | 69 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 0 | 10 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 8 | 29 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
Swarthmore College vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
PA
Swarthmore College
31.63 incidents / 1,000 students
KS
Cloud County Community College
1.82 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
American Career College-Anaheim
0.00 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Cloud County Community College
Concordia, KS · 1,644 enrolled
Safety Score 1.82
American Career College-Anaheim
Anaheim, CA · 1,643 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
MIAT College of Technology
Canton, MI · 1,645 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Lincoln Technical Institute-Union
Union, NJ · 1,648 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, NY · 1,648 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Swarthmore College nationally (rank #3036), regardless of size or state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swarthmore College safe?
Swarthmore College has a safety score of 31.63 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #3,036 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Swarthmore College?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Swarthmore College compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in PA.
Does Swarthmore College have fire safety data?
Yes. Swarthmore College reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 16 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Swarthmore College's Safety Profile
Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA enrolls 1,644 students and has a safety score of 31.63 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #3036 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 12 in 2022 to 36 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 16 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Swarthmore College's 31.63 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Swarthmore College against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.