Haverford College

Haverford College remains selective, though its position in the U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking softened to 26th in 2027 from 18th in 2023. Gaining admission is demanding, as the college admitted just 12.4% of applicants in 2025. That acceptance rate was higher than only 10% of peer private liberal arts colleges, reflecting an applicant pool that faces substantial competition. When admitted, candidates show an above-average propensity to enroll: the 2025 yield rate reached 42.6%, which was higher than 80% of peer schools in the same comparison group. This solid yield indicates that Haverford retains strong drawing power among admitted students. For prospective applicants, the combination of a low acceptance rate and an attractive yield means securing a spot is competitive, requiring a compelling and focused application.

Haverford College maintains high academic expectations for incoming undergraduates, enrolling students with test scores near the top of its peer group. In 2025, the median SAT score among enrolled students was 1510, which was higher than 90% of peer schools in a comparison group of 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. For students reporting ACT results, the middle 50% composite score spanned from 33 to 35, while middle-range SAT section scores in reading and math both reached into the seven hundreds. A minority of enrolling students submitted standardized test results that year, following a multi-year decline in test reporting. For applicants assessing their academic profile, these figures demonstrate that admitted students typically achieve very strong testing outcomes. Prospective students aiming for Haverford need top grades and demanding secondary coursework, and any submitted test credentials generally need to align with these upper score ranges to match the profile of the enrolled class.

Academics at Haverford College center entirely on undergraduate education across traditional liberal arts and sciences. In 2025, the college conferred 399 bachelor's degrees and granted no graduate credentials. Student enrollment is well distributed rather than concentrated in just a few fields, with the top three majors accounting for 29.3% of the graduating class. The largest single discipline was Econometrics and Quantitative Economics with 42 graduates, followed by Political Science and Government, General, and Chemistry, General. Computer and Information Sciences as well as Biology also attract substantial student numbers. While major-specific rankings are not assigned to these undergraduate departments, popularity remains balanced between social sciences and laboratory disciplines. International graduates are most visible in economics and computing. For post-graduate compensation, 2023 earnings data indicate that graduates in Biology, General earned a median income of $45,685 one year after finishing their degrees. Prospective students can expect broad intellectual variety supported by balanced program sizes.

Haverford College enrolled an entirely undergraduate student body in 2025, operating with no graduate division. Among incoming first-year students, Asian students numbered 49, representing 12.7% of the entering cohort. International undergraduates in that same freshman class totaled 37, accounting for 9.6% of the group. Continuing undergraduates across the sophomore, junior, and senior classes reflect very similar proportions for both demographics. Across the entire institution, White students constitute the largest racial demographic, followed by Asian, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander students, while transfer enrollment remains negligible at only a handful of individuals each fall. Because the college lacks graduate students, institutional resources, campus leadership roles, and faculty attention center entirely on baccalaureate candidates. For prospective applicants, these figures illustrate an intimate liberal arts setting featuring steady domestic minority and international student representation throughout the undergraduate community.

Haverford College has an undergraduate student body concentrated almost entirely within traditional college ages, alongside zero graduate students. In 2025, undergraduates aged 20 to 21 formed the single largest group at 44.7%, while the 18-to-19 cohort made up 43.5%. The remaining students are slightly older, leaving campus populated almost exclusively by young adults. With no graduate enrollment on campus, student life is centered on peers navigating their undergraduate years at a similar stage of life. For families evaluating the college, this concentrated profile means that daily campus interactions, academic clubs, and student activities take place entirely among traditional undergraduate classmates, without the presence of graduate cohorts.

International enrollment at Haverford College has expanded over the past decade, remaining focused entirely at the undergraduate level since the college operates no graduate division. By 2025, international students comprised 11% of the undergraduate student body, reflecting a steady upward trajectory in global recruitment. This international proportion is higher than 57% of peer private liberal arts colleges. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students earned 8.8% of all bachelor's degrees. At the program level, international graduates concentrated primarily in quantitative disciplines. The highest concentration appeared in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, where international scholars represented 16.7% of graduates, while computer science and biological sciences also drew notable international shares. For prospective international applicants, these patterns point to an established global community on campus, supported by solid representation in social science and STEM programs.

Applicants exploring colleges near Haverford have several distinguished institutions nearby in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Located just 1.4 kilometers away, Bryn Mawr College is a fellow liberal arts college ranked 31st in the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking. Only 2.7 kilometers away sits Villanova University, ranked 42nd among National Universities. A short distance further, Swarthmore College is situated 7.5 kilometers away, holding the 3rd spot on the national liberal arts college list. In nearby Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania is located 7.1 kilometers from campus and ranks 7th among National Universities, while Drexel University, also 7.1 kilometers away, holds the 80th position on the national universities list.

Campus safety metrics at Haverford indicate a substantial downward trend in reported incidents over recent years. Forward Pathway's weighted crime rate per 1,000 students dropped from 37.0 in 2016 to 17.3 in 2025. Between 2023 and 2025, disciplinary violations and interpersonal offenses constituted the primary categories. Over this three-year period, alcohol-related disciplinary referrals made up the single largest category, totaling 76 incidents. Other reported offenses from 2023 through 2025 included 12 cases of rape, 11 reports of stalking, seven reports of sexual harassment, six drug-related disciplinary referrals, and five dating-related offenses. These numbers reflect all incidents reported on campus across those three combined years.