Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall College is a private institution that was founded in 1787. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,990 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 200 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Franklin & Marshall College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #35. Its tuition and fees are $68,380.

More than 200 years ago, Benjamin Franklin donated 200 English pounds to start the school now known as Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. These days, the institution is a well-regarded liberal arts college home to top-notch research and innovative student programming. One unique component of life as an F&M student is the "Harry Potter"-esque living situation. All first-year students are assigned to one of five college houses, known as Bonchek, Brooks, Weis, New and Ware. Each house is overseen by faculty members called dons and prefects. In each College House, students live together, share meals and plan and attend events. First-year students must live in their college house. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can choose to as well. In addition to activities through the college houses, students can choose from roughly 90 clubs and organizations, including nearly a dozen fraternities and sororities. The Greek system draws more females than males; about 20% of men join, compared to about 30% of women. The F&M Diplomats sports teams are members of the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference and are especially competitive in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse. Academic and extracurricular life stops each Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. for Common Hour, a small window of time for students and faculty to attend a campuswide lecture, movie snippet or event.

The tree-lined campus is in walking distance of downtown Lancaster’s main attractions. Stores and restaurants stay open late for First Friday, a lively celebration at the end of the first week of each month. On Third Fridays, art galleries and performance centers typically host shows. Students can also check out a Barnstormers game at the city’s baseball stadium or shop for groceries and crafts in Central Market, the country’s oldest continually operating farmer’s market. For a more metropolitan experience, Philadelphia is about 1.5 hours away.

Students can get involved in research projects early at Franklin & Marshall College. The school receives more than $500,000 a year for projects, and research fairs in the fall and spring showcase student-faculty projects. Students are also encouraged to study abroad; the school offers programs in 200 locations around the world, and about half of the student body studies abroad each year. Notable alumni of the college include Denis Cortese, emeritus president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic; Kenneth M. Duberstein, Ronald Reagan’s former chief of staff; and Mary L. Schapiro, former chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.