Haverford College

Haverford College admits 12.9% of applicants, meaning roughly 1 in 8 applicants receives an offer of admission. This places Haverford among highly selective liberal arts colleges in the United States, with acceptance rates typical of top-tier institutions.

The peer median admission rate of 75.6% highlights the stark difference between Haverford's selectivity and typical four-year institutions, representing a 62.7 percentage point gap. Even among private liberal arts colleges, Haverford's 12.9% acceptance rate positions it as significantly more competitive than average.

This level of selectivity means that many academically qualified students face uncertainty in the admission process, regardless of their credentials. Students with strong academic records who would thrive at Haverford may not receive admission due to the high volume of qualified applicants competing for limited spots.

For this reason, prospective students should treat Haverford as a reach school and build comprehensive college lists that include institutions with higher acceptance rates but comparable academic quality and career outcomes. The sections below provide alternative schools that deliver similar post-graduation earnings with more accessible admission or different geographic options for students seeking liberal arts excellence.

Haverford College's published cost of attendance reaches $84,605 per year, including $68,300 in tuition, $18,880 for room and board, and $1,240 for books and supplies. However, the average student pays substantially less at $25,210 after financial aid, representing savings of $59,395 from the sticker price.

This significant gap between published cost and actual net price demonstrates Haverford's commitment to need-based financial aid, though the average net price remains above many peer institutions. The net price of $25,210 compares to a peer median of $21,812, placing Haverford $3,398 higher than typical institutions serving similar student populations.

Net prices vary dramatically by family income, ranging from $3,600 for families earning under $30,000 to $44,137 for families earning over $110,000. This progressive pricing structure indicates substantial aid targeting toward lower-income students, though the institution's overall net price suggests limited aid availability for middle and upper-middle-income families.

Families should use the Federal Student Aid calculator to estimate their specific costs, as individual circumstances significantly impact final pricing at institutions with large endowments like Haverford.

Haverford College graduates demonstrate strong and accelerating earnings growth over time. Median earnings progress from $53,353 six years after enrollment to $67,379 at eight years and $79,966 at ten years, representing impressive 49.9% growth from the six-year mark.

These outcomes reflect data from a ten-year cohort of 131 graduates, providing reliable confidence in reported figures despite the institution's small size. Graduates earn median salaries placing Haverford in the 93rd percentile nationally for long-term earnings outcomes.

The earnings trajectory shows consistent upward momentum, with the largest gains occurring between the six and eight-year marks as graduates establish themselves in professional careers. Earnings span from $57,103 at the 25th percentile to $117,492 at the 75th percentile, demonstrating solid outcomes across different career paths.

Compared to peer institutions with a median of $50,412, Haverford graduates earn $29,554 more annually, highlighting the institution's ability to prepare students for high-earning careers. Graduate school continuation is estimated using program mix analysis, though confidence levels remain low due to limited cohort sizes in individual programs.

Haverford College does not currently provide federal earnings data for individual academic programs, reflecting the institution's small size and liberal arts structure where many programs have limited cohort sizes. Federal reporting requirements mandate minimum cohort thresholds that small liberal arts colleges often cannot meet across multiple specialized programs.

The institution's overall strong earnings performance of $79,966 median ten years after enrollment suggests consistent outcomes across the academic portfolio, but specific program-level performance data remains unavailable through federal College Scorecard reporting. Students interested in specific program outcomes should contact Haverford's career services directly for detailed information about graduate placement and earnings in particular fields.

The institution's strong overall return performance indicates that graduates across various liberal arts disciplines achieve favorable career outcomes, though program-specific variations cannot be quantified through available federal data sources. This data limitation is common among small liberal arts institutions where individual departments may graduate fewer than the federal minimum required for earnings disclosure.