Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 29.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 74/100 · Fair Value
Bryn Mawr College scores 74 (Fair Value) on the CampusROI scale -- a result that understates the school's actual outcomes for students who pursue post-baccalaureate paths, but accurately captures the Scorecard-measured picture. Median 6-year earnings are $41,900, the payback period is 6.6 years, and median debt is $25,000. The 81.8% completion rate is solid. The key limitation of this profile is data sparsity: Bryn Mawr's small enrollment (1,359) means program-level Scorecard data is limited to three programs, all with incomplete or weak near-term earnings data. Bryn Mawr sends a very high share of graduates to graduate school -- including law, medicine, and PhD programs -- which depresses 6-year earnings relative to long-run career outcomes. The $65,920 sticker tuition is very high; the $31,759 average net price is more realistic but still demanding. Low-income and middle-income aid is among the most favorable in the data, with families under $30,000 paying only $11,017.
Bryn Mawr College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $65,920/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $65,920/yr |
| Average net price | $31,759/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $127,036 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $75,217 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 6.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 81.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,359 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Bryn Mawr College is $65,920/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $31,759/year, or roughly $127,036 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $11,017/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $40,085/year.
The median graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $265 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $75,217 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.60 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,017 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,457 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,262 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,330 |
| $110,001+ | $40,085 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,017 net price per year at Bryn Mawr -- a genuinely strong aid package for a highly selective private institution. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $18,457, which is higher but still reasonable against a $65,920 sticker. Bryn Mawr's aid program is among the most generous for low-income students in this dataset. For low-income students who gain admission, the financial case is real -- more so if they pursue graduate or professional school, where the Bryn Mawr degree opens doors that improve long-run outcomes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $17,262 net price -- lower than the $30,001-$48,000 bracket, reflecting an unusual inversion in the aid formula. Families earning $75,001-$110,000 pay $19,330. These are favorable prices for this caliber of institution. A student paying $17-19k per year who goes on to law or medical school will have a reasonable total cost basis. The risk is students who enter without a clear post-baccalaureate plan and find themselves with a $25,000 debt load and $41,900 median earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $40,085 per year, totaling about $160,340 over four years. At this price, Bryn Mawr competes directly with Wellesley, Smith, and Vassar, all of which have similar profiles and outcomes. Full-pay families should weigh Bryn Mawr's extraordinary academic environment and alumnae network against the near-term earnings data. The long-run outcomes for Bryn Mawr graduates who pursue professional careers are not well-captured by the Scorecard, which is a real limitation of this analysis.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Bryn Mawr College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature | $38,040 | - |
| Sociology | $42,666 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $43,321 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is the only Bryn Mawr program with sufficient data for a full ROI calculation -- and the result is stark: year-one median earnings of $22,335, year-four of $43,321, ROI grade F, debt-to-earnings ratio 1.033. This means graduates in this designation owe more than a full year's salary at the point of measurement. The very low year-one figure almost certainly reflects a large share of graduates in graduate school stipends, fellowships, or early-career academic roles. The four-year figure of $43k is more representative of labor market entrants. Median debt of $23,069 is moderate in absolute terms.
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature has 29 graduates with only year-four earnings reported at $38,040 -- the year-one figure is missing. The $38k four-year figure is low for a private liberal arts college graduate, but reflects the combination of literary fields' labor market realities and a high share of graduates pursuing graduate programs in the humanities. Bryn Mawr sends a notably high proportion of English graduates to doctoral programs in comparative literature, where stipends (not salaries) are the near-term income source.
Sociology
Sociology has 20 graduates with only year-four earnings available at $42,666. The small cohort size means this figure could shift substantially year to year. Sociology graduates from Bryn Mawr enter a broad range of careers in nonprofit, government, and social services, plus a significant share pursuing graduate study in social work, public policy, and sociology itself. The $42k four-year figure is consistent with those career paths.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 81.8% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 83.0% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.5% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 88.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 29.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 620-760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 660-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 29-33 |
| Enrollment | 1,359 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 14.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,083 |
A 29.4% acceptance rate makes Bryn Mawr genuinely selective among liberal arts colleges. The SAT Math 620-760 and Reading 660-750 ranges reflect a strong academic profile. Bryn Mawr is not widely known outside academic and policy circles, which means it may be undervalued in the applicant marketplace relative to its actual academic quality and outcomes. The women's college format is a self-selecting filter; students who consider single-gender education are a specific subset of the applicant pool.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Bryn Mawr's listed peers include Pitzer College, Kenyon College, Bryn Athyn College, Albright College, and AdventHealth University. Bryn Mawr (ROI 74) is in the middle of this peer set by score, but the comparison set is oddly constructed -- Kenyon and Pitzer are meaningful liberal arts comparables, while AdventHealth and Albright are not. Against Pitzer and Kenyon, Bryn Mawr's outcomes are roughly comparable, with similar profiles of high graduate school placement, limited near-term earnings data, and substantial net price variation by income. The women's college format and the Tri-College consortium access are structural differentiators that the ROI score does not capture.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryn Mawr College (this school) | 74 | $31,759 | $75,217 |
| Scripps College | 78 | $36,294 | $77,539 |
| Smith College | 73 | $27,579 | $64,027 |
| Simmons University | 72 | $25,265 | $63,494 |
| St Catherine University | 66 | $19,764 | $59,282 |
| Mount Holyoke College | 60 | $26,441 | $58,418 |
Who Thrives Here
Bryn Mawr admits 29.4% of applicants with SAT ranges of 620-760 Math and 660-750 Reading and ACT 29-33 composite. It is a selective women's liberal arts college with 1,359 undergraduates -- one of the smaller institutions in this dataset. The Bryn Mawr model is built around academic rigor, a strong alumnae network, and cross-registration with Haverford, Swarthmore, and Penn. Students who will thrive here are self-directed, academically motivated, and have post-baccalaureate plans -- law, medicine, academia, public policy -- that the Scorecard's 6-year earnings window does not capture well. Students seeking professional programs with direct employment pipelines (engineering, accounting, CS) will find limited options here.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Bryn Mawr College offers fair financial value, though the ROI depends heavily on individual circumstances. The net cost of $31,759 per year leads to $127,036 over four years, while graduates earn a median of $75,217 a decade out. The payback period of 6.6 years is about average - not bad, but not a standout either.
The data highlights several strengths: a 81.8% graduation rate, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $25,000 against $75,217 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.