Earlham College

Admission to Earlham College is relatively accessible for a private liberal arts institution, though its draw among admitted students remains modest. In 2025, the college admitted 73.1% of applicants, an acceptance rate higher than 69% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. Despite this accommodating admissions posture, Earlham experiences moderate matriculation from accepted candidates, posting a yield rate of 13.9% in 2025. In the U.S. News & World Report National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Earlham stood at 80 in 2020 and placed at 83 in the 2027 edition, showing minor movement over recent cycles. For prospective applicants, these figures indicate that qualified students have a relatively favorable chance of receiving an offer of admission, but Earlham competes closely with peer colleges to convince admitted applicants to enroll.

Earlham College follows an admissions policy where standardized test scores are optional, considered if submitted. For the 2025 admissions cycle, the college published score ranges showing a middle ACT composite score between 24 and 33. Among similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges in 2025, Earlham reported a median SAT score of 1190, which was higher than 12% of peer schools. Regarding high school preparation, records from the 2021–2022 academic year show that about a quarter of incoming students achieved straight-A secondary transcripts, with most peers maintaining solid A-minus or B grades. This profile demonstrates that although submitting testing is not compulsory, prospective applicants need a reliable academic foundation with consistent success across college-preparatory coursework. Those considering an application can position themselves well by demonstrating sustained classroom engagement and coursework rigor, while standardized scores near or above the typical range reflect the general standards of admitted cohorts.

Earlham College focuses its undergraduate offerings around traditional liberal arts and sciences disciplines rather than professional training. In 2025, the college awarded 148 bachelor's degrees, with graduates moderately concentrated in a few popular fields. The top three undergraduate majors—Biochemistry, Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, and General Business Administration and Management—together accounted for 27% of all bachelor's degrees conferred. At the master's level, degrees remain sparse, concentrating primarily in ministry and education programs. Regarding post-graduation financial return, federal data from 2023 reports median first-year earnings of $40,132 for graduates in Business Administration, Management and Operations. For prospective students evaluating academic paths, Earlham offers focused cohorts in foundational fields, though its small total graduate count means specialized upper-level course selection is inherently tighter than at larger research universities.

Earlham College enrolled 753 total students in 2025, maintaining an intimate campus community composed largely of undergraduates alongside a very small graduate division. White students constitute the largest demographic group across all undergraduate cohorts. Asian students represent a relatively small presence on campus, accounting for 5 first-year undergraduate students and 10 returning undergraduates. In contrast, international students form a noticeable and active cohort within the student body, numbering 44 first-year students in the entering undergraduate class. The remaining student population includes modest representations of African American, Hispanic, and multiracial students across academic levels. For families considering campus diversity, Earlham offers an intentionally small-scale educational setting where international students represent a prominent global segment within a predominantly domestic student population.

Undergraduate student life at Earlham College revolves almost entirely around traditional college-age peers, whereas its small graduate community consists largely of mature adults. In 2025, among the 634 undergraduates, students aged 18 to 19 represented 47.3% of the total, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 39.6%. The vast majority of undergraduates are under age 25. By contrast, the graduate population serves an older demographic, with students aged 40 to 49 making up 25% of all graduate enrollment. For prospective undergraduates, this profile means campus housing, extracurricular activities, and everyday interactions take place almost exclusively among peers of traditional college age.

International students represent a substantial presence at Earlham College, particularly within the undergraduate student body. In 2025, international undergraduates made up 17.7% of the undergraduate student body, a proportion higher than 90% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. At the graduate level, international enrollment stood at 12.3% in 2025. Among 2025 degree recipients, international students earned 17.6% of all bachelor's degrees conferred. Academically, international undergraduates showed a marked concentration in technical coursework, making up 75% of graduates in Computer Science, while also participating in natural sciences such as Biochemistry. For international families evaluating college options, Earlham offers an established international peer community that is unusually large for a small Midwestern liberal arts college.

Applicants considering Earlham College can evaluate several other institutions within 40 kilometers in eastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio. Miami University-Oxford, located 23.9 kilometers away in Ohio, is ranked 133 among National Universities for 2027. Further north in Indiana, Ball State University sits 37 kilometers away and holds a rank of 227 among National Universities. Also nearby across the state line is University of Dayton, a private national university located 39.7 kilometers away that ranks 121 in the 2027 national university list. These nearby universities provide alternative campus sizes and academic settings within short driving distance.

Campus safety records at Earlham College show that reported incidents consist predominantly of internal disciplinary referrals rather than serious crimes. The institution recorded a weighted crime rate per 1,000 students of 14.1 in 2025. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the most common offenses involved substance violations, which resulted in 38 liquor law disciplinary referrals and 28 drug law disciplinary referrals. Over those same three years, violent and interpersonal incidents remained infrequent, including 9 reported cases of rape and 9 cases of sexual harassment. Prospective students and families can review these numbers to see that Earlham maintains a relatively quiet residential environment where routine campus security activity centers primarily on enforcement of student conduct rules.