Swarthmore’s financial situation is neither simple nor static. The financial overview posted on this webpage provides only a snapshot of college finances in the Fall of 2015. This page aims to provide useful resources if you wish to explore this topic further.
- Audited Financial Statements: These statements provide a thorough overview on where the College’s money is going, with more detail than the Operational Budgets. There are some instructional guides available online to help understand these forms if you need help.
- Common Data Sets (CDS): These data sets provide a lot of information in admissions, expenses, and financial aid. They are also in a standardized format that all colleges and universities, if you want to compare statistics by school.
- 990 Tax Return: This source is highly technical and can be easily misinterpreted, but it can provide useful information if you’re looking for the nitty-gritty details. To obtain the copy, either ask for it from the Swarthmore Business Office or download from the Economic Research Institute website (for less recent versions). If you plan on using the 990, you may find help from the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York’s “How to Read the New IRS Form 990.”
- NACUBO–Commonfund Study of Endowments: This study compares endowments in higher education. The report costs money to view, but public tables are available.
- Board of Managers Websites: Click on a name for more information. This was not useful in creating Flux, but may come in handy for another project.
- Making Moral Arguments About Divestment: a presentation from the Philosophy Department. (This is only available through through the Swarthmore network.)