Haverford College, located in its namesake community in Montgomery County, earned an A+ in Forbes’ 2023 college financial grades. The publication ranked 900 private colleges on their “operational viability” and balance sheets.

Also on the list was all the Ivies, including:

• The University of Pennsylvania
• Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh
• Swarthmore College in nearby Delaware County

Many other colleges, however, missed the boat.  

Private liberal arts colleges have kept their finances in the black thanks to the American Rescue Plan. That generality, however, creates a false sense of security.

Struggling colleges go through what is referred to as an “interim phase.” These are periods where administrators overhaul academic programs using funds they cannot pay back, according to Emma Whitford and Matt Schifrin for Forbes.  

The authors also reported that hundreds of these colleges have dwindling enrollments and predict even stronger declines in 2025.

Read more about the financial health of private colleges in Forbes.  

Video report on life at Haverford College.