Haverford College

Haverford College offers one of the finest undergraduate educations in the world

Rooted in our Quaker heritage, the Haverford community centers on upholding the value of every individual. Haverford provides a rigorous and intensely personal liberal arts education inspired by intellectual depth, collaboration, and commitment to ethical leadership. There is no place where students are more trusted, have more opportunity to shape their own paths, or have a more profound impact on the overall community experience.

Academics
The core of the classroom experience involves learning from each professor’s direct research and scholarship, and enjoying the opportunity to be an active, vital participant in every class. It is expected that all students will be involved in research. Students are true collaborators and trusted colleagues in the classroom.

Faculty
Our faculty members are internationally recognized thought-leaders dedicated to working closely with undergraduates. At large research institutions, it can be difficult to connect with your professors—but the experience here is designed to maximize the amount of time students spend in direct collaboration with faculty. A third of our faculty live on campus, allowing them to develop strong, supportive ties and undertake in-depth research with their students.

Trust. Concern. Respect.
Our campus culture engenders an immediate sense of colleagueship between students and faculty and creates a relaxed, personal atmosphere. A philosophy of trust, concern, and respect for every individual guides our community and serves as the basis for our completely student-governed Honor Code, allowing students the agency to self-schedule exams, among other stress-reducing benefits. In addition to governing the Honor Code, students serve on hiring committees, manage budgets, and run more than 145 clubs and organizations.

Senior thesis
Haverford is one of the very few institutions at which every student will produce a senior thesis or project. This capstone academic experience offers every Haverford student the chance to develop and execute their own original scholarly work. Students become true scholars and understand what it takes to create knowledge and seek answers to challenging questions at a deep and practical level.

Beyond Haverford 
Recent graduates have gone to programs at the University of California-San Diego, Harvard, University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, and Villanova University just to name a few. Our alumni pursue careers in fields ranging from business to medicine to public service to science and technology.

Consortium partners
Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Swarthmore Colleges together comprise the Tri-College Consortium. Students may register for classes across the three schools, and any social event within the Tri-Co is open to the entire Tri-Co community. Haverford students may also take courses at the University of Pennsylvania, including the Wharton School of Business. The University of Pennsylvania partners with Haverford on accelerated master’s degree programs in engineering, bioethics, and city planning.

The admission process
Haverford attracts some of the world’s brightest and most engaging college-bound students every year. Our primary criterion for admission is academic excellence. Haverford admits students based on their ability and dedication to achieving at the highest levels of scholarship and service, who will engage deeply and substantively in the community, and who are intent on growing both intellectually and personally.

The admission process is conducted as a comprehensive review, where each applicant is treated personally and individually, and every part of the application is taken into account. We provide you with the opportunity to convey the broadest sense possible of who you are, what you have achieved during your secondary school experience, and how you will both contribute to and grow from a Haverford education.

Financial aid
We are committed to making a Haverford education accessible and affordable. With a $42.8 million annual aid budget, we meet the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students—including international students, undocumented students, transfers, and students admitted from the waiting list. Nearly 50% of the student body receives some form of financial aid from Haverford; the average grant award is $68,335.

We want all students to thrive and to have full access to the College’s educational and cultural opportunities, regardless of their financial resources. We strive to remove the hidden costs of attending college; for example, our financial aid supports you to participate in study abroad and social events on campus are free. We are equally committed to minimizing student debt after graduation. If you’re a student from a family with an annual income below $60,000, there will be no loan expectation as part of your financial aid award. Families with income of $60,000 or higher may have a loan expectation as part of their financial aid package, ranging from $1,500-$3,000 per year.