Bryn Mawr College Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

I am going to walk you through the official data the United States government collects about this college: what it is, how much it costs, who gets in, who stays, and who finishes. I am not going to tell you whether it is the right school for your family. No one knows that yet, neither I nor the numbers. But by the end of this article, you will know one of the three pieces you need to make a thoughtful decision.

Who Bryn Mawr College is

Bryn Mawr College is a bachelor’s college focused on arts and sciences, which is how the Carnegie system that organizes the country’s schools according to what they do classifies it. It is a four-year, small, highly residential school: in the most recent measurement available, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned or controlled by the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. In its admissions category, Carnegie places it among the most selective.

Pay attention to something important: “highly residential” does not mean “inexpensive.” The fact that most students live on campus means that room and board will be part of the bill from day one, not that you can leave them out of the budget. And the “most selective” label does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in. You will see that number—the real one, the one that matters when building your daughter’s list—later, and it is worth seeing before she builds her full list. It is fine for this school to be on that list. It should not be the only one.

Geographically, Bryn Mawr College is in the town of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, within Montgomery County, in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, but outside the principal city. That does not mean the campus is right in downtown Philadelphia, and it also does not tell you what living there feels like day to day. You find that out by going. If your child plans to live at home and commute each day, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.

Institutionally, it is a private, nonprofit, four-year-or-more college. The government records the doctorate as the highest level it reports offering and classifies it as a degree-granting institution, primarily offering bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists there or whether it connects undergraduate study with a graduate program. That must be verified program by program.

And here is something worth saying plainly: do not reject it or choose it because of the sticker price. We will look at that carefully in the cost section, but make a note of it now, because it is the idea that supports this entire article.

Regarding special designations: Bryn Mawr College is not recorded as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one does not. That does not tell you which students it serves, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child will feel there. Not having any of those three labels also does not mean it does not serve that community. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are active, and—most usefully—whether you can speak with someone who already studies there.

How many students there are and who they are

This is where the fact I opened this article with carries its full weight. In the fall of 2023, Bryn Mawr College’s undergraduate count recorded zero men. One hundred percent of the reported undergraduate students are women.

As for the rest of the student body’s composition: 10 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with the 941 selective-admission private four-year schools reporting this information, Bryn Mawr ranks above the midpoint of the group but does not reach the highest quartile. Put another way: Latino students are few here, but not nonexistent, and this school is not alone in that middle position. If this matters to you—and it matters greatly to many families—ask during the visit what specifically exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the admissions office who speaks Spanish.

An honest limitation on that comparison: the peer group is based on school type and control, not on state. It does not account for the part of the country where the college is located, and that matters. It also does not go down to the major level. It is a whole-school figure.

Regarding age: only 1 out of every 100 students are between 25 and 64 years old. There are practically no adult students in this undergraduate population; it is primarily a campus of young people who enroll right after high school. As for where entering students come from, the government does not provide that line for this school in the 2023 cycle. It is not there, and it should not be invented.

In terms of size, Bryn Mawr College had 1,666 students enrolled in the official fall count, placing it in the medium-size band—between 1,000 and 4,999—and near the middle of the rankings among its 941 census peers. Of those 1,666, 1,349 are undergraduates and 317 are graduate students: it is primarily an undergraduate school. IPEDS estimates a full-time equivalent of 1,645 students and reports 361 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking undergraduate students—that group is not the entire entering class each year, but a specific subset.

Being large does not mean more options. Being small does not mean more attention for your daughter. Scale gives you a snapshot, not a verdict. What really matters must be asked about the specific major, not the school as a whole.

Academics: how the year is structured and how degrees are distributed

The year at Bryn Mawr College is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience, and in 2023 it reported that it did not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.

Accepting AP does not mean the college will award credit for every exam your child takes. It does not specify the scores required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward the major your child chooses. Ask for the transfer-equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.

As for how degrees are distributed: in one year, Bryn Mawr College awarded 315 bachelor’s degrees across 14 fields-of-study families. The family awarding the most degrees was social sciences, with 22 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—no other area surpassed it, but it did not capture the bulk of them either. No family accounted for 30 out of every 100 degrees. The offerings are distributed, without one area dominating overwhelmingly.

This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the current catalog of majors. It does not measure quality, learning, or what job each graduate later obtains. Before deciding, ask about the exact major your daughter is interested in: how many students graduated in it, how long they took, and what the complete curriculum looks like.

One more fact worth keeping handy: the student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 8 to 1, one of the lowest ratios reported. Compared with the 941 similar schools in the census, Bryn Mawr falls in the bottom quartile: its ratio is lower than that of three out of every four similar schools. But a low ratio does not guarantee small classes—the number compares full-time equivalents; it does not count seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.

Academic pathways the institution reports

Bryn Mawr College reports that it has structured the following pathways: study-abroad programs, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of the program for initial teacher certification. Their reported status confirms that they exist as institutional offerings; it does not tell you how students gain access to them, how much space is available, or how easy it is to incorporate them into your daughter’s course of study. Ask admissions or an academic advisor directly.

Getting into Bryn Mawr College: what it requires and who succeeds

Let us start with the essential point: Bryn Mawr College does not have open admissions. It reviews parts of the application before saying yes. Of the nine considerations this process evaluates—not counting admissions tests or legacy status—five are required: the high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: your daughter’s class rank, completion of the college-preparatory program the college requires, and work experience.

Put plainly: gathering paperwork is not enough here. The essay is required, so your daughter has to write. She should start it in the summer, not the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted. The published undergraduate application fee is $50.

Now for the hard numbers on how selective it is in practice. In the 2023 cycle, Bryn Mawr College received 3,278 first-year applications and offered admission to 1,018. That is 31 out of every 100 applicants admitted. Compared with its 942 peers—selective-admission private four-year schools—it is among those accepting the fewest: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, accepted a higher percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that count, 2,260 applicants did not receive an offer of admission that year. That figure does not distinguish how many were rejected, how many were waitlisted, or how many withdrew their applications.

Of those who did receive an offer, how many ultimately enrolled? 35 out of every 100 students admitted for the first year of 2023 ultimately enrolled. The other 65 had an acceptance letter in hand and did not enroll there. Compared with its peers, that proportion is on the high side—a smaller share of admitted students enroll at most similar schools. Receiving the letter is not the same as deciding to attend. And that percentage does not measure quality, prestige, or satisfaction: it only counts how many enrolled that particular fall. When your daughter’s admission letters arrive, this number is not what decides. Put the offers side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.

Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required at Bryn Mawr College. If your daughter submits them, they are considered; if she does not, her application remains active just the same. Even so, among enrolled first-time students, 61 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score—one of the highest submission shares among the 653 similar colleges in the census. Among those who submitted SAT scores, the middle half scored between 670 and 740 in reading and writing and between 630 and 730 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants, and they do not prove that the scores were used in the decision to admit them. That 670 is not a minimum. That 740 does not guarantee anything either.

Table: pathways in and out, at a glance

Regarding transfers: of the first-time, full-time cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 31 students—9 out of every 100—are recorded as having transferred without completing there within 150% of normal time. Compared with 542 similar schools, that proportion is on the low side: most schools in that group saw a larger share of their cohort leave. That figure does not say what happened to the others: they may have graduated, remained enrolled, or stopped studying. On the other hand, in the fall 2023 count, only 7 undergraduate students entered Bryn Mawr for the first time after attending another institution. It is a minimal inflow. And if your daughter ever transfers to or from this school, this number does not tell you how many of her credits will be accepted. Ask for that in writing, with the course list in hand, before moving anyone.

The sticker price, without sugarcoating

At Bryn Mawr College, among 13 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $3,323. Among 16 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $12,873; among 175 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $49,566. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.

Between the average for the lowest-income band (13 students) and the average for the highest-income band (175 students), there is a difference of $46,243. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $39,383.

Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same period coverage, this one falls in the least expensive quartile for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that matters when you build the list of schools to apply to.

Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter you receive is what matters.

Aid, grants, scholarships, and loans: the money that comes in and the money that is borrowed

At Bryn Mawr College, 74 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—grants or scholarships. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with its 942 peers, that proportion falls in the quartile where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who did receive this aid, the average for the year was $42,011.

Federal Pell aid—for students with demonstrated financial need—reached only 14 out of every 100. That means at least 60 out of every 100 received aid that was not Pell but came from another source, probably the institution.

$42,011 is real money. But it is not a price. What determines the cost is the number left after aid, and that number is not in this average—you have to request it school by school, letter by letter. A high average among those who received aid does not mean your daughter’s offer will be that large.

Now for the other side of the money: loans. In the 2022-23 academic year, 48 out of every 100 Bryn Mawr College undergraduate students received a federal student loan—almost half, and this count includes all undergraduates, not only degree-seeking students. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $5,942 that year. Compared with its 942 peers, that share of students with loans is common: neither among the highest nor among the lowest.

Financing with debt is normal here. If your daughter borrows a similar amount each year throughout the four years in the plan, the total comes to about $23,768, not counting interest. Make that calculation before the first signature, not at the end. And that average includes only federal loans in the student’s name for one year: it does not include the PLUS loans parents sometimes take out, debt from banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone leaves after graduation—to get that, you would have to add all four years, and that number is not in this report.

This percentage describes other families, not yours. Wait for the actual financial aid letter before ruling out this school and before committing to it.

As for payment mechanisms, Bryn Mawr College reports offering a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan. Both are worth asking about if family cash flow is a concern.

Living there: housing, athletics, the library, and support services

Living on campus is not optional in the first year. Bryn Mawr College reports that first-time, full-time students are required to live in housing owned or controlled by the institution. Meal plans are also available, and the largest plan has a fixed number of meals per week. The institution reports a maximum controlled-housing capacity of 1,279 students, on or off campus.

If your daughter enters full time in her first year, room costs cannot be cut from the budget. They go on the bill from day one, along with tuition. When comparing this school’s price with another’s, include that cost from the start. Tuition alone is misleading.

Regarding ROTC: Bryn Mawr College reported that an opportunity is available, and the only branch marked is Air Force. Army and Navy are not marked. If your child is interested in another branch, it is not confirmed in this report—which does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask directly. And a checked box does not confirm that the program is taught on this specific campus either; ask about availability, scholarships, and requirements by program name.

In athletics, Bryn Mawr does compete in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA. This institutional fact does not identify which sports, teams, or seasons currently exist, which division each sport competes in, or whether scholarships are available. Membership is reported for basketball and cross-country or track. If your daughter wants to continue competing, write directly to the coach of the sport she is interested in and ask for a written response.

Regarding distance education, Bryn Mawr offers it, but not at the undergraduate level—exactly where your daughter would enter. In the fall count, zero out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes through distance education. Do not count on online options to accommodate a bachelor’s-level schedule.

The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. That confirms an operation with resources, but it does not tell you whether it has specific databases for your daughter’s major—ask about that by program name.

Finally, the institution reports the following services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, and a published web address for disability services. Their reported status confirms their formal existence; it does not measure their quality or how accessible they are in practice.

They stay, progress, and graduate: what the cohorts show

Here we reach the question that matters most to a family after money: if my daughter enrolls, will she finish?

Of the first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in the fall of 2022—396 people—355 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already completed their bachelor’s degree one year later. That is 90 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar schools, that proportion ranks toward the top. But a high retention result is not a final graduation rate: it combines those still enrolled with those who had already graduated without separating the two branches, and it does not reveal what happened to the 41 people outside that count.

Regarding graduation: out of every 100 students who entered bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017—attending full time and never having previously attended another college—86 left with a degree within six years. In exact numbers, 303 out of 354. At the four-year mark, the figure drops to 75 out of every 100—a difference of 11 points between four and six years. Compared with 920 similar schools, Bryn Mawr is among those graduating the most students: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion.

Almost everyone who entered full time in that class left with a degree. That does not mean the same thing will happen to your daughter. It does say that those students, at that school, had enough time. What is within your control is making sure she starts with her credits in order from the first semester and knows from day one who her academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in her major.

Table: what happened to cohorts that entered years ago

There is an even broader measure: the cohort of 393 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including first-time students and those who already had prior full-time postsecondary experience. As of August 2023, 87 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 88 out of every 100—only one point different from those who did not receive one; the fact that the figures are close does not mean the path was equally easy. Compared with 935 similar schools, Bryn Mawr is among those graduating the most people within eight years.

A high percentage does not predict the outcome of a particular person. It describes what happened to a specific cohort years ago. If this school remains on your daughter’s list, the useful step is to ask about current program support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.

What you already know and what remains to be learned

You now know one of the three pieces you need to make this decision with your family: what Bryn Mawr College really is and what the official data show about it. You know it is a small, highly residential school with an almost entirely female undergraduate population, selective but not impossible to enter, expensive on paper, and notably generous to the lowest-income families when net price is considered. You know that financing with loans is common there, and you know what questions to ask before signing anything.

What this article does not know—because it is not supposed to know—is what your daughter wants to study, how far from home she is willing to live, and how much your family can or is willing to pay. Those two pieces belong to you and to her. She must decide what she wants to build with her life. You must understand the money, support the decision, and make sure no path is lost because the map was not understood. You do not decide her vocation, and she does not sign a loan for thousands of dollars by herself without someone reading all the fine print.

Put this piece together with the other two. The plan comes from that combination, not from a single figure.

Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Bryn Mawr College to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with graduation and persistence cohorts dating to earlier entry years as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Bryn Mawr College or the United States government; this piece is informational and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.