Haverford College Admissions

Get Into Haverford College

Haverford College is a private liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, just 8 miles from downtown Philadelphia. The campus, over 200 acres of architecture and landscaping, includes more than 50 academic, athletic and residential buildings, and a nationally recognized arboretum. Although founded by Quakers as a men’s college in 1833, it became co-ed in 1980 and no longer has a formal religious affiliation. All 1,472 students are undergraduates, and nearly all students (98%) and the majority of faculty (61%) live on campus to foster a close-knit community. Likewise, with a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 and the absence of teaching assistants and graduate students, the focus of the education is solely on the undergraduate experience.

Haverford is ranked #24 (tie with Bates and Colby) on the U.S. News and World Report ranking for National Liberal Arts Colleges, #12 (tied with Bates, Reed and Williams) for Best Undergraduate Teaching, and #24 for Best Value Schools. Haverford does not have any fraternities or sororities, but it has more than 145 student organizations on campus. It is also expected that students will be involved in research in some capacity, often through one of Haverford’s three academic centers, which provide funding and support for those who want to design their own high-level scholarship. These Centers, the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, the Hurford Center for the Arts and Humanities, and the Koshland Integrated Natural Sciences Center, offer robust academic programs and funding resources.

TTA admissions success results - class of 2026

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Applying to Haverford

Haverford strongly encourages applicants to schedule an interview before January 15 Interviews are generally available beginning in the spring of your junior year through early January of your senior year. All interviews are are conducted via Zoom. Class visits are a great way to get a feel for Haverford’s small class size and discussion-oriented teaching. Overnight visits are also typically available during the fall semester and are open to any current high school senior.

If you are interested in Haverford, there are three application options: Early Decision (11/15), Early Decision II (1/1), and Regular Decision (1/15). If you choose to apply under either Early Decision plan, you cannot submit an application to another institution ED. If you are admitted under Haverford’s Early Decision option, you are also required to withdraw all pending applications, including those you may have already submitted to Regular, Rolling, or Early Action programs.

In addition to the Common Application and Personal Statement, Haverford requires an Honor Code essay: “Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you think the environment at Haverford, including the framework of the Honor Code, would foster your continued intellectual growth?” and “We have highlighted for you some of the values that shape the Haverford community. What are some of the values you seek in your next community? How do Haverford’s values, as demonstrated through our Honor Code, resonate with you?” Although, in previous years, standardized test results were also required, Haverford has adopted a test-optional policy.  

Since Haverford is a member of the Tri-College Consortium, Haverford students are free to take classes at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore College. It is also a member of the Quaker Consortium, which allows students to cross-register at the University of Pennsylvania. The University of Pennsylvania offers a 4 + 1 engineering program that grants a B.S. from Haverford and a masters from Penn in just 5 years. Similarly, students can apply for the 2/3 program with CalTech for engineering students. This allows students to transfer to an engineering program at CalTech in the second semester of their junior year. At the end of five years (three at Haverford, two at CalTech) the student will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree by Haverford and a Bachelor of Engineering Degree by CalTech. 

In terms of financial aid, Haverford meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted students and maintains a no-loans policy for students with family income below $60,000/year. 46 percent of students receive some form of financial aid and more than 44 percent of students receive a college grant, the average of which is $56,604.

Haverford College Admissions Wrap Up

Class of 2029
825 students were admitted, to the Class of 2029, from a pool of 6,730, for an acceptance rate of 13.3%. Of those accepted, 400 chose to enroll resulting in a 45% yield. Haverford’s incoming class includes students of diverse backgrounds: 53.8% identify as people of color and 14.5% are the first in their family to attend college. The accepted students boast impressive academic credentials with 93.3% of enrolled students in the top 10% of their high school class and 100% in the top 20% of their class. 

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