Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Earlham College #1371 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Earlham College #1215 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions — the institution's strongest pillar performance. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $44,750, placing Earlham College in the 2.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Earlham College #1371 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private baccalaureate college in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham College enrolls roughly 670 undergraduates. Retention stands at 77.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 69.0%, reflecting solid completion outcomes for a residential liberal arts institution. Earlham College draws strength from its access profile and mobility outcomes. 24.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 22.6% are first-generation college students, positioning the college as a meaningful access point within the private sector. Azimuth ranks Earlham College #1159 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $44,750, reflecting solid early-career outcomes anchored in the college's strength in Biological Sciences and related fields. The composite reflects a balanced profile across pillars. Affordability sits in the 34.7 percentile, access in the 9.2 percentile, and mobility in the 17.9 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. For a small, residential liberal arts college with broad access and meaningful financial aid reach, Earlham College delivers a coherent value proposition: strong completion rates, solid early-career earnings, and genuine economic mobility for low-income and first-generation students.
Earlham College's published cost of attendance is $67,684. Need-based financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $17,178, families in the lower-middle income band pay around $15,658, middle-income families pay about $19,768, families in the upper-middle income band pay approximately $26,136, and higher-income families pay around $31,058. Azimuth ranks Earlham College #931 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Earlham College commits to meeting demonstrated financial need through need-based aid, with no merit component. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The aid structure combines institutional grants, federal Pell Grants (for eligible students), and federal Direct Loans as part of the package. Work-study is available as an additional aid option for qualifying students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,488, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $23,050; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $44,750, median federal debt of $23,488 projects to a monthly payment of about $265 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Earlham College is a strong fit for students drawn to the biological sciences, humanities, and social sciences who want a private liberal arts college experience in IN. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $44,750, placing Earlham College in the 2.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution enrolls a significant share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 24.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 22.6% are first-generation — and delivers mobility outcomes that place Earlham College in the 9.2 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 73.1% admit rate makes the application process selective, and the program mix favors the biological sciences and liberal arts fields over applied-professional ones. Students whose interests align with those areas and who can navigate the application process will find the earnings trajectory and aid package among the strongest in the region.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Earlham College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Earlham College's published cost of attendance is $67,684. Need-based financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $17,178, families in the lower-middle income band pay around $15,658, middle-income families pay about $19,768, families in the upper-middle income band pay approximately $26,136, and higher-income families pay around $31,058.
Azimuth ranks Earlham College #931 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Earlham College commits to meeting demonstrated financial need through need-based aid, with no merit component. Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
The aid structure combines institutional grants, federal Pell Grants (for eligible students), and federal Direct Loans as part of the package. Work-study is available as an additional aid option for qualifying students.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,488, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $23,050; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $44,750, median federal debt of $23,488 projects to a monthly payment of about $265 under standard ten-year repayment.
For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Earlham College earn median 4-year earnings of $44,750, placing Earlham College in the 2.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Earlham College #1159 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The earnings pattern reflects Earlham College's strength in fields where liberal arts training translates into stable, professional-track outcomes. Biological Sciences represents the institution's largest degree concentration, anchoring the earnings profile.
Research Psychology is the most popular program with 23 graduates, while The Business Administration program graduates 23 students earning median 4-year earnings of $60,745 — roughly 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology and Biology, General round out the top programs by scale, each enrolling substantial cohorts.
The breadth of Earlham College's program portfolio — spanning Business (10%), Social Sciences (9%), and Arts (9%) — supports consistent outcomes across majors and reflects the institution's liberal arts mission.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
College Of The Atlantic Similar quality tier (#36111 ranked) | ME | 70% | $40,264 | #36111 | Compare |
William Peace University Similar quality tier (#36114 ranked) | NC | 94% | $46,643 | #36114 | Compare |
Crown College Similar quality tier in Midwest (#36115 ranked) | MN | 23% | $48,057 | #36115 | Compare |
Oglethorpe University Similar quality tier (#36117 ranked) | GA | 88% | $55,232 | #36117 | Compare |
Metropolitan College Of New York Similar quality tier (#36118 ranked) | NY | 90% | $46,236 | #36118 | Compare |
Business Administration, Management and Operations
23 graduates
Biology, General
15 graduates
Fine and Studio Arts
12 graduates
Earlham College anchors its academic portfolio in the biological sciences, a signature that shapes both the institution's program mix and its graduate outcomes. Research Psychology is the largest program with 23 graduates annually, followed by Business Administration with 23 graduates earning median earnings of $60,745, Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biology, General, and Neurobiology and Neurosciences.
Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 185 students annually, the institution's program distribution reflects a liberal arts identity centered on natural sciences and quantitative fields. Research Psychology stands as the institution's highest aggregate return major, combining substantial enrollment with solid earnings outcomes and positioning it as a key economic anchor for the school.
Business Administration graduates earn median earnings of $60,745 four years after enrollment, representing the institution's strongest early-career financial outcome. The concentration of Business at 10% of degrees, alongside Social Sciences at 9% and Arts at 9%, underscores Earlham College's positioning as a science-intensive liberal arts college where quantitative and life-science pathways dominate the degree portfolio.
Many of Earlham College's largest programs are grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical school, graduate study, or research training. Research Psychology, Business Administration, and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology exemplify this pattern—strong undergraduate foundations that often lead to advanced degrees rather than immediate workforce entry.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national labor-market demand and graduate-pathway trends.
