Private nonprofit · College

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Small city

28.2%
Admit rate
$36,425
Avg net price
84%
Graduation rate
$76,124
Median earnings

Franklin and Marshall College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (small city setting), enrolling 1,799 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,799 undergradsSmall cityVery selective · 28% admitNCAA Division III with football · Centennial ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Franklin and Marshall College's admitted students.

Admit rate
28.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1310–1463
Avg GPA (est.)
3.89

Enter a test score to see where you land against Franklin and Marshall College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Franklin and Marshall College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Originally called Hickory Town, Lancaster was renamed after the English city of Lancaster by native John Wright. Its symbol, the red rose, is from the House of Lancaster. Since 2005, Lancaster's downtown has increased the number of specialty shops, boutiques, bars, clubs, and galleries. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
Nearest big city
1 mile to Lancaster, PA
To the ocean
36 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Lancaster (LNS)

How Franklin and Marshall College compares

Selectivity28.2%

More selective than 94% · #8 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1392

Higher than 89%

Graduation rate84%

Higher than 92% · #12 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention90%

Higher than 86%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$76,124

Higher than 88% · #13 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$36,425

Cheaper than 7% · #103 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$19,000

Lower than 80%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,799

Larger than 54%

Percentiles compare Franklin and Marshall College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

1,799undergrads
  • Women1,01857%
  • Men78143%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White59%
  • Black4.8%
  • Hispanic9.2%
  • Asian5.5%
  • Other or multiracial21%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,799
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$84,574
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$101,637
Endowment
$467,642,341

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 553 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania26%
  • Other U.S. states59%
  • International15%

A national draw — only 26% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 59% arrive from other states.

15% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
28.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1310–1463
SAT average
1392
SAT reading
660–730
SAT math
650–733
ACT composite
30–33
Average GPA (estimated)
3.89

Cost

In-state tuition
$70,794
Room & board
$16,188
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$85,776
Average net price
$36,425

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
84%
Graduated on time (4 years)
76%
First-year retention
90%
Transferred to another college
11%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$62,544
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$76,124
Median debt at graduation
$19,000
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
83%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
76%
Low-income (Pell)
80%
First-generation
77%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,154
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$9,212
Meal plan (year)
$6,356
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Centennial Conference
Varsity athletes
727 (452 men · 275 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (17)

Football96
Lacrosse86
Track and Field (Indoor)64
Track and Field (Outdoor)63
Soccer57
Swimming44
Rowing40
Baseball35
Wrestling35
Basketball34
Tennis29
Field Hockey28
Softball26
Squash25
Cross Country25
Golf23
Volleyball17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
12.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
54
Property offenses (2022–2024)
12

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,808 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

22reported offenses a year
18 violent a year4.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
8.3
Rape
5.7
Aggravated assault
4.0
Burglary
2.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,321
$30–48k
$16,942
$48–75k
$16,245
$75–110k
$25,104
$110k+
$49,996

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$67,127

$16,245/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

68%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$44,593
average award, among those who get one

Franklin and Marshall College discounts heavily: 68% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $44,593. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 487 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$76,124
Typical debt at graduation
$19,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
25%
Out-earn a HS grad
78%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$71,505
Men
$80,840

Men out-earn women by $9,335 (13%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
44.1″
Annual snow
21.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lancaster 2NE Fltr Plt, PA US station (2.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Franklin and Marshall College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Franklin and Marshall College side by side →

Colleges near Franklin and Marshall College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.