About Bryn Mawr College

Founded in 1885, Bryn Mawr College. is a Private college. Located in Pennsylvania, which is a city setting in Pennsylvania, the campus itself is Suburban. The campus is home to 1,381 full time undergraduate students, and 327 full time graduate students.

The Bryn Mawr College Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 8:1. There are 178 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Bryn Mawr College include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate39%
Application Deadline15-Nov
Application Fee50
SAT Range1220-1450
ACT Range28-32

Admissions at BMC are considered More Selective, with ,21% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 14 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

98% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 89% were in the top quarter, and 60% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Bryn Mawr College.

2%
“We”re apathetic”
17%
“We know about current events and vote”
55%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
26%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
1%
“We save it for the classroom”
6%
“Sometimes, but not often”
39%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
0%
“I only go out in groups”
11%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
89%
“I feel extremely safe”
49%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
49%
“We bought the gear”
3%
“We live for the big game”
6%
“It”s not really our thing”
19%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
55%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
20%
“We”re a very artistic group”
0%
“Haven”t met them”
3%
“Available in class”
36%
“They keep regular office hours”
61%
“They”re always available”
96%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
1%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
1%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
2%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
1%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
33%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
61%
“We only party on weekends”
4%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
16%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
64%
“There might be people who do”
20%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
1%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
2%
“We”re apathetic”
17%
“We know about current events and vote”
55%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
26%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
1%
“We save it for the classroom”
6%
“Sometimes, but not often”
39%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
0%
“I only go out in groups”
11%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
89%
“I feel extremely safe”
49%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
49%
“We bought the gear”
3%
“We live for the big game”
6%
“It”s not really our thing”
19%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
55%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
20%
“We”re a very artistic group”
0%
“Haven”t met them”
3%
“Available in class”
36%
“They keep regular office hours”
61%
“They”re always available”
96%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
1%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
1%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
2%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
1%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
33%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
61%
“We only party on weekends”
4%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
16%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
64%
“There might be people who do”
20%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
1%
“There”s a huge drug scene”

Bryn Mawr College REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    69 Students rated on-campus housing 4.6 stars. 61 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    44 Students rated off-campus housing 2.3 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    69 Students rated campus food 4.2 stars. 39 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    69 Students rated campus facilities 4.4 stars. 48 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    69 Students rated class size 4.7 stars. 70 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    68 Students rated school activities 3.8 stars. 31 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    68 Students rated local services 3.9 stars. 29 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    69 Students rated academics 4.3 stars. 48 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of Bryn Mawr College?

25 Students rated Bryn Mawr College

Molly - 12/06/2023

It is honestly the perfect school for me. I love the close-knit community, the professors, and the classes I have taken thus far. Not to mention that being in an all-women's space has allowed me to flourish in ways I never expected. There are still men in some classes and you can always take classes at Haverford, but at least on Bryn Mawr campus it is a women's space and there is something so amazing about that.

Penelope - 07/20/2020

Bryn Mawr is an okay school academically. US citizens who attend Bryn Mawr tend to have mediocre SAT scores/high school grades. The year I applied, the median SAT scores were 1960. International students who attend tend to have much higher scores etc. since internationals are held to a much higher standard as far as college admissions go. The math department dumbs down its major to A) cater to the whims of students and B) inflate the number of math majors so they can claim that the reason there are so many math majors at bryn mawr is that it is an all-women's college. The sheer dishonesty of that was a huge turn-off for me. Bryn Mawr mostly attracts women from very privileged backgrounds who were median students in high school OR women from lower income backgrounds for whom attending Bryn Mawr is a big deal (again, this applies to the US student population - the internationals are much smarter and of course, there are some domestic students who are an exception to this rule). There is very limited on-campus recruiting so if you are gunning for a front-office job at a bulge bracket bank etc., that will not work out for you. The very few companies that do come to campus are not prestigious. I heard the line, "this is the hardest thing you will ever do" in regards to Bryn Mawr coursework a lot - I would have to assume those people suffered from brain injuries as coursework is extremely easy and it is not hard at all to get an A.

A

As an alum, my experience with Bryn Mawr came with benefits and many downfalls. Like other PWI and liberal art schools, Bryn Mawr can be an incredibly traumatizing and depressing experience for students with multiple marginalized identities. This is especially the case if you're from a large metropolitan city background. It can hard to adjust and I don't think I ever was able to adjust to BMC's toxic culture (it's more than just making friends and "finding a sense of belonging" - which BMC likes to focus on). At the end of the day, I decided to make the school fit me instead of me fitting the school. It's a hard and exhausting decision and should not be idolized. From start to end, many barriers were placed on my path academically. This meant accepting that Bryn Mawr didn't have what could fill me up academically and socially. This meant pursuing other interests and alternative indirect paths to be able to follow my dreams/accomplish my goals (and endless fighting for what I want to do in life, not getting the opportunities I needed, etc). As an alum, I obviously survived - thank GOD! BUT, I did not thrive at Bryn Mawr, perhaps the way I could have in another school. I can't say that I will ever take my kids to visit this school as an alum. All I would be able to give them is compassionate honesty, and I would say "I made it work for me". PS - if those reading this can relate, - the hood kids, the low income kids, the poc kids who took on endless leadership positions and got 4.0s by making a way out of now way. Know that if you can get into Bryn Mawr, I'm sure you can get into many other elite institutions. You have options and YOU DESERVE BETTER. Even when you choose Bryn Mawr, you STILL have options. Make sure Bryn Mawr is not "making a way out of no way" pt 2 - because it doesn't have to be for you.

Kristiana

Bryn Mawr is an AMAZING environment. Of course there is always room for improvement, especially in terms of accessibility and issues of inclusion and exclusion on campus. But the people here are amazing, and the professors (at least in the English department) are wonderful.

Bryn Mawr College FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Bryn Mawr College?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Bryn Mawr College is 39%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    I went to a huge (3400 students) public high school in a suburb of Atlanta. While I'm not "one of the boys," I have always had guy friends (and boyfriends), so when my mom started suggesting women's colleges, I was a little skeptical. I know, though, that I need a sense of community (something I found within my close friends in high school, as well as my fellow theatre kids), and Bryn Mawr definitely seemed like it had a strong and close-knit community, so I applied, partly because I was interested, partly to appease my mom. Anyway, once I was accepted, I went on a tour of all the northeastern colleges I was considering, and got to see Bryn Mawr in person for the first time. I grew to like it a little more after that experience. Even after all that, though, Bryn Mawr was still not my first choice. To be honest, the defining factor in my decision to come here was the fact that their financial aid package was the largest, and I needed all the help I could get. So, needless to say, I was still wary of a lot of things when I came. People from more urban areas (or even simply suburban ones) tend to worry about the social life a lot, and I was definitely not an exception. I've found, though, that your social life at Bryn Mawr is what you make it, and most everyone is happy with what they've made of theirs. If I have a lot of homework during the week, any free time I have is spent relaxing. If my workload is light that week, though, I have done things like going shopping or dinner in Philly during the week. Even if I do have a lot of work, though, I can still do social things. A lot of people go to the coffee shops or other places with friends to do work during the week. Weekends vary as well, depending on how I'm feeling. Sometimes I go out to parties, sometimes I stay home, order food and watch movies with the girls. Most of the parties I've been to have been at Haverford or Swarthmore, but I've been to a couple at Penn, and I know people who have gone to Villanova. There are, too, parties on Bryn Mawr's campus occasionally. Haverford parties are kind of lame, but not terrible, Swat parties are a bit less lame and still fun, Penn parties are fun, especially if you know someone there, and I really have no idea about Nova. Bryn Mawr parties have been the most fun, in my opinion. They're all open to any Tri-Co student, and anyone else if a Tri-Co student signs them in, so there are ALWAYS boys. If parties aren't so much your scene, there are always a number of other social events around the various campuses on weekends, which are very fun as well. My only real issue with being at Bryn Mawr is the difficulty in meeting dateable boys. I have to admit, though, I haven't really tried very hard to find one. A lot of girls here have boyfriends, and there are certainly endless meaningless hookups to be found. I have made boy [space] friends, but no boyfriends. Like I said, though, I haven't really tried all that hard, and my lack of boyfriends is more than a fair trade for the rest of my BMC experience. A huge part of Bryn Mawr culture are the traditions. There are, of course, the four big ones (Parade Night, Lantern Night, Hell Week, and May Day) and a million other small ones (Step Sings, Athena, Skinny-Dipping in the Cloisters). These things are what really make you a Bryn Mawr woman (aside from the rigorous academics you both love and hate). They make you realize just how incredible and unique this place is.

    Read all  73 answers
  3. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    Interestingly, they tend to contradict each other! There's that we're all boring intellectuals, but also that we're all flakes; there's that we're all man-hating lesbians, but also that we're all sluts.

    Read all  73 answers
  4. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    I mean, they're stereotypes for a reason. Yes, our college DOES have a greater LGBTQ population than most. All of my friends are straight, though, and none of us hate men. Yes, there are radical feminists out there, but most people are just activits for womens' rights without being all in-your-face about it, and all of us are clean and neatly groomed. Yes, there is a significant population of private school graduates, but the college provides financial aid that even those not economically well-off can still attend. We're as catty as any other college with women can be, no better or worse. I actually like to think we're less catty because there isn't the same kind of competition for male attention.

    Read all  71 answers
  5. What are the academics like at your school?

    Bryn Mawr is known for having excellent professor-student relations. Almost every prof makes a huge effort to learn every student's name and make sure that they are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} accessible to students. Without the dedication and compassion of the professors here, the level of difficulty in the classes might be too much for some people, but they make it a lot easier to balance everything and get help when you need it. That being said, the academics are extremely challenging. People spend a lot of time studying, but as much as we complain about it, we're all happy we came here. Also, because of the Honor Code, students do not discuss grades (unless it is within a safe space and everyone has agreed to it), so the only competition is with yourself. It's all about performing to the best of your ability and learning as much as you can.

    Read all  71 answers
  6. Describe the students at your school.

    The women here are either very intelligent or make up abstract themes about a reading we are going over in class.

    Read all  68 answers
  7. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    The most popular organizations are political ones, especially SGO (student government organization). The least popular are the sports teams. I'm currently most involved in Anime Club. Anime club meets on Friday nights from 7 to 11-ish. We watch from two to six series a semester. Each meeting we watch around 4 episodes of 2 series. I mostly provide the anime for viewing pleasure, so I like to think I'm fairly important. We watch any type of anime, from light humor to dark angst. It's really quite fun. Watching it with an entire group of people making fun of the action is awesome. When in or out of the room? I feel safe having my door entirely open when I'm in it, and while I lock my door, I have a friend who never locks hers. So I feel pretty safe on campus. Athletic events are all buy ignored. The more politically charged the guest speaker, the more of a crowd they are bound to draw. We have a number of theater groups which draw a varying number of people. Dating scene? I've never been interested. I met my closest friends through Customs Week before school starts and through Japanese Class. If I'm awake at 2AM Tuesday, it's either because I have a physics problem set or a paper I've put off due the next day. Bryn Mawr RUNS on Traditions. We have 4 big ones during the entire year: Parade Night, Lantern Night, Hell Week, and May Day. They're all tons of fun. People party as much as they want to,when they want to. We're known as being a sober school, though. Bryn Mawr doesn't have a sorority. Last weekend was Plenary, where we suggest and vote on amendments to the School Constitution and the end of Hell Week, which was great. Saturday nights and drinking have never gone together in my head. The school hosts any number of alternatives during the school year on Saturday nights, though, from stand-up comics, to concerts, and performances of all kinds. Off-campus usually means going to Philly, where there's the Franklin Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, Old City, Penn's Landing, and the sports complexes. It's a big city without feeling like one. If you want to stay in Bryn Mawr, though, there's a GREAT Borders bookstore right next to a pizzarea that has the best-tasting pizza I've ever had. The train will also take you to Ardmore, which is known for having a great deal of high-end stores.

    Read all  61 answers
  8. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    even if there are drawbacks choose the school that fulfills the element that is most important to your happiness (i.e. if you will be miserable without a substantial social life, choose a school that has a better social life than academic reputation or if you will be unhappy without a degree from a school with a substantial academic reputation, choose a school that holds academics above social satisfaction, etc.)

    Read all  48 answers
  9. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    A somewhat artsy, small, liberal, somewhat insane, probably too studious, very focused on traditions, all women's school with a lot to offer academically.

    Read all  31 answers
  10. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    Traditions! There are four per year, specificially designed to bring the entire campus together to celebrate each class and the camaraderie between all of us. Each one is a unique task that involved the whole school, and at the end, we all spend time together to celebrate our friendships!

    Read all  28 answers
  11. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    Bryn Mawr is best known as one of the Seven Sister schools, which were created as an all-women's counterpart to the Ivy League schools in the late 1800's. Since its beginning, Bryn Mawr has educated talented, strong, successful women, such as Drew Faust and Katherine Hepburn. While Bryn Mawr is not known for professional education, it has been known to produce students who have the ability to think for themselves, who are exellnt writers and communicators, skills that allow for successf in any field they choose.

    Read all  12 answers
  12. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    The campus is gorgeous! I had my own room all 4 years complete with a fireplace. Our alumna include Katharine Hepburn and the first female president of Harvard University, Drew Gilpin Faust.

    Read all  11 answers
  13. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    Everyone is incredibly apathetic. No one gives a damn about anyone but their friends.

    Read all  10 answers
  14. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    People who are conservative or don't like to be around people who are not like them. Everyone at Bryn Mawr is different.

    Read all  10 answers
  15. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    To be honest, the social life. Yes, Bryn Mawr is right by Haverford and a bus ride from Swarthmore, but being at an all women's college is just not right for everyone. The parties here are non-existant and the parties at the other schools don't even come close to those at larger schools or universities. Besides, all the parties have a terrible female/ male ratio. Most people have to actively search out a social life if they want one. This can and will get frustrating after a while.

    Read all  9 answers
  16. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    A student tells us why she chose to come here and about the Tri-Co

    Read all  9 answers
  17. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    That the workload was this heavy! I also wish I had known about all the resources available to me, in terms of internshipsetc.

    Read all  8 answers
  18. Describe the dorms.

    Our dorms are absolutely unrivaled, as they're all castles with secret passageways and stained glass windows. You will not find a more beautiful place to live while you're in school.

    Read all  8 answers
  19. What kind of person should attend this school?

    those who feel less than confident with respect to academics will thrive in an environment totally unfocused on anything but intellectual ability, but is a substantially active social experience cannot be replaced with a few close friends and freedom to act as you please, this environment will be unbalanced

    Read all  6 answers
  20. What's unique about your campus?

    I strongly believe that the best thing about Bryn Mawr College is the consortium we have with Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylivania. Having such a diverse assortment of classes offered to me and all the students at all these colleges, is great, seeing as sometimes going to a liberal arts college can be a bit heartbreaking when you realize that classes are not as abundant as one would like them to be. It's also great to meet more people than you would in a school with only a total of 1300 students.

    Read all  6 answers
  21. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    One stereotype about Bryn Mawr that I heard back in high school was: "By and large, Bryn Mawr girls are Bi and Large." Under this stereotype, we (Bryn Mawr girls) are all lesbians who care too much about studying and too little about partying and exercise. As a rising sophomore, I can definitely say that none of this is true. Out of all women's colleges, we are one of the "straightest," and there are boys around our campus (from Haverford and Swarthmore) taking classes all year long. Furthermore, our campus administration really stresses personal health and life balance. Every freshman is required to take a 6-week "Wellness" course which teaches us about life skills such as stress management and nutrition. Our fitness center also holds monthly programs where students who exercise have the chance to win t-shirts, water bottles, and other prizes. After a full year at Bryn Mawr, I can definitely say that by and large, Bryn Mawr girls and, well, normal, hard working, intelligent, and independent college girls.

    Read all  5 answers

Student Body

Students

100%

female

N/A

male

1,381

Total Undergrad Enrollment

327

Total Grad Students

69%

Out-Of-State

12%

In-State

19%

International

Organizations

100

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

70%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
12%
% Black or African-American
6%
% Hispanic/Latino
9%
% White or Caucasian
36%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

74% of students attending Bryn Mawr College receive some sort of financial aid. 13% were awarded federal grants. While 39% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$48,790

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,000

Books and Supplies

$15,370

Room and Board

65,160

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$10,688
$30 - $48K
$13,658
$48 - $75K
$17,319
$75 - $110K
$22,736
$110K & UP
$41,012

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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