Bryn Mawr College
#1 Best Psychology Colleges in Pennsylvania- Graduation Rate
- 84% A-
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $75,217 A
- Top 5% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $31,759 F
- 85% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 29% A
- Admits roughly 29% — highly selective
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 19.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $19.4 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Psychology Colleges in Pennsylvania.
Every $1 spent returns $19.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,341,198.
What The Data Says
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A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduates earn 84% more than the national college median.
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A 84% graduation rate — 46% above the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $19.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Bryn Mawr College Matters
Bryn Mawr College is a private liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, PA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by selective admissions and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 5% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 1,359
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Social Sciences, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology, Mathematics & Statistics
Why students choose Bryn Mawr College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Selective — admits about 29% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1280–1510. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $31,759 a year after grants and scholarships — 85% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $75,217 ten years after enrolling — 84% above the typical college, against $25,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.8% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 34% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.81 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an enrollment of just 1,359 students, Bryn Mawr College offers an intimate learning environment that suits those seeking a close-knit community and strong academic rigor. The college is particularly known for its programs in Social Sciences, Biology and Biomedical fields, English and Literature, Psychology, and Physical Sciences. This diversity in study areas allows students to explore various interests while benefiting from a supportive faculty and enriched campus life.
After graduation, students can expect a solid earning potential, with a median income of $75,217 ten years post-graduation. This figure reflects the college's commitment to student success and prepares graduates for the workforce. While 15% of students qualify for Pell Grants, indicating a level of financial support for those from lower-income backgrounds, Bryn Mawr's affordability and graduation rate of 84% suggest that many students find a pathway to financial stability and career advancement.
The net price of attending Bryn Mawr is $31,759 after aid, and with a median debt of $25,000, students generally leave with a manageable financial burden. Those who thrive here are often self-motivated individuals who appreciate a collaborative environment and are driven by their academic pursuits. This balance of affordability, support, and strong outcomes makes Bryn Mawr a compelling choice for students ready to invest in their education and future.
Rankings
- #1 Best Psychology Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #4 Best Colleges for Building Social Capital
- #7 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #7 Best Computer Science Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #7 Best Data Science Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #8 Best Bachelor's Programs in Pennsylvania
- #8 Best Master's Programs in Pennsylvania
- #8 Highest-Paying Colleges for Psychology
Can I Get In?
How selective Bryn Mawr College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Bryn Mawr College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 29%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,396. The graduation rate is roughly 84%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Retention Rate
- 92%
- SAT Average
- 1396
- SAT Range
- 1280–1510
- ACT Range
- 29–33
- Full-Time Faculty
- 82%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,083
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 8:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.70
- First-Gen Students
- 15%
- Applicants
- 3,594
- Admitted
- 1,105
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Bryn Mawr College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds.
- Submitted SAT
- 64%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 21%
- of enrolled freshmen
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bryn Mawr College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Bryn Mawr College is $65,920, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,759. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,017 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $65,920
- Out-of-State
- $65,920
- Avg Net Price
- $31,759
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 15%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 49%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $11,017
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $18,457
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $17,262
- Family Income $110K+
- $40,085
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Bryn Mawr College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Bryn Mawr College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Bryn Mawr College earn a median of $75,217, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $53,102
- 8 Years
- $63,818
- 10 Years
- $75,217
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.33x
- Earning > $25K
- 73%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (280)
- 80%
- 100% (280)
- 80%
- 100% (280)
- 80%
- 100% (280)
- 80%
How Bryn Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Bryn Mawr College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Bryn Mawr College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $31,759/year ($127,036 total). Graduates earn $75,217 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,468,234 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,341,198 (19.4× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 84% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $127,036
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,468,234
- Net Return
- $2,341,198
- ROI Multiple
- 19.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $31,759
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 84%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Bryn Mawr College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Bryn Mawr College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.83%, well above the typical college. About 5.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 35.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $125,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.83%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 35.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 5.2%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $170,375
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $7,086,000
Top Programs
The fields Bryn Mawr College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Social Sciences 20% $26,933 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 13%
- Psychology 10%
- Mathematics & Statistics 8%
- English & Literature 7% $28,558 early-career
- Physical Sciences 7%
- Computer Science & IT 5%
- Visual & Performing Arts 4%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Bryn Mawr College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Bryn Mawr College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 29%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,396. The graduation rate is roughly 84%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bryn Mawr College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Bryn Mawr College is $65,920, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,759. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,017 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
Is Bryn Mawr College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Bryn Mawr College earn a median of $75,217, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Bryn Mawr College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Bryn Mawr College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.83%, well above the typical college. About 5.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 35.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $125,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Bryn Mawr College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Bryn Mawr College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.81, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 22% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does Bryn Mawr College offer Early Decision?
No. Bryn Mawr College does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).
Is Bryn Mawr College really test-optional?
Bryn Mawr College reports test-optional admission, but most enrolled students still submit scores: about 84% of first-year students sent an SAT or ACT (2024-25 Common Data Set). Submitting strong scores is the norm here.
Compare Bryn Mawr College
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Bryn Mawr College.
- Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA · Close peer83% grad $69,512 earn 25% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, PA · Close peer85% grad $76,124 earn 28% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Scripps CollegeClaremont, CA · Close peer85% grad $77,539 earn 38% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT · Close peer83% grad $75,001 earn 37% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA · Close peer90% grad $79,966 earn 12% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, IL · Close peer78% grad $70,871 earn 39% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Bryn Mawr College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Bryn Mawr College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.81, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 22% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note