Admit rate has ranged 30%–38% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Franklin & Marshall College is a small, selective liberal arts college in Lancaster, PA, where students dive into rigorous academics—especially strong in the sciences and creative writing—while navigating a tight-knit, sometimes intense social scene. With a 28% acceptance rate and a median early-career salary of $76,124 for graduates, F&M balances exclusivity with tangible outcomes, though its $73K sticker price means financial aid is a make-or-break factor for many.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,799
In-state tuition
$70,794
Out-of-state tuition
$70,794
Location
Lancaster, PA
Sticker Price
$73,210
Acceptance Rate
28%
4-Year Grad Rate
72%
6-Year Grad Rate
86%
First-Gen Students
16%
Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
Avg Financial Aid Grant
$36,264
Mid-Career Median Salary
$141,500
Early Career Median Salary
$76,124
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$76,124
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.1×
Median debt at graduation
$19,000
Graduation rate
84%
First-year retention
90%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
85%
Pell (lower-income) share
39%
First-generation share
19%
Endowment / student
$259,946
Financial health
2.8 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Economics$55,964
Business Administration, Management and Operations$52,733
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$42,682
Political Science and Government$41,441
History$39,009
Public Health$38,337
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
2
Per 1,000 students
1.11
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
89
Summer high
84°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
46.4"
Annual snow
16.1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
197
Scholarly works
5,733
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.3%
Bottom → top quintile
56%
From bottom quintile
2%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Franklin and Marshall College?
Franklin and Marshall College's acceptance rate is approximately 28% (Lancaster, PA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Franklin and Marshall College?
Admitted students at Franklin and Marshall College typically score 1310–1463 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Franklin and Marshall College cost?
At Franklin and Marshall College, the average net price (after aid) is about $36,425 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Franklin and Marshall College?
Franklin and Marshall College enrolls approximately 1,799 undergraduate students.
Where is Franklin and Marshall College located?
Franklin and Marshall College is located in Lancaster, PA.
Admissions
F&M is selective but not elite, with a 28% acceptance rate (2,785 admits from 9,881 applicants for the Class of 2025). The middle 50% of admitted students scored between 1384 SAT or 31 ACT, and 16% are First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context.. The YieldThe share of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Colleges watch it closely, which is why some weigh how interested you seem. is low—just 10% of regular-decision admits enroll—suggesting F&M is often a "safety" for students aiming at more prestigious liberal arts colleges. Early Decision is available, but the school leans heavily on financial aid to attract committed applicants (46% of enrolled RD students came off the waitlist, likely with sweetened aid packages).
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
$36,848
Psychology, General$36,848
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
F&M’s academic vibe is rigorous but not cutthroat, with standout programs in biochemistry, neuroscience, and creative writing (the latter producing more majors than sociology). Small classes are the norm—the school boasts a 9:1 student-faculty ratio—and undergrads frequently collaborate with professors on research. The curriculum is classic liberal arts, though pre-professional tracks like business and engineering draw interest. Quirky interdisciplinary certificates (e.g., Arts for Social Change) let students tailor their path, but STEM dominates: 5% of grads major in biology, outpacing humanities fields.
Life at F&M revolves around College Houses—residential communities that blend dorm life with intellectual programming (think: faculty-led discussions over pizza). Socially, it’s a work-hard, play-hard scene: Greek life claims about 30% of students, and weekends mix parties with cultural events. Some students report feeling pressure to "prove" their worth academically, and the small size can feel claustrophobic. But the upside is intimacy—professors host summer potlucks, and the Instagram feed brims with undergrads presenting research alongside mentors.
F&M delivers on ROI: 92% of grads land jobs or grad school spots within six months, and the median early-career salary ($76,124) tops the national average by $20K. Alumni networks are strong in Philly and NYC, especially for finance and science careers. The 4-year graduation rate is a solid 72%, though that jumps to 86% when including students who take longer—evidence of the school’s support for stragglers. Notably, PayScale data shows mid-career salaries spike to $141,500, suggesting F&M’s liberal arts foundation pays dividends over time.
At $73,210 per year, F&M’s sticker price is steep, but 61% of students receive aid, with an average grant of $36,264. The Commonwealth Commitment covers full tuition for PA families earning under $100K, and the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator suggests many middle-income students pay $37K–$45K after aid. Still, 51% take out loans, and the school’s aid packages sometimes lean on work-study. For high-achieving applicants, F&M can be surprisingly generous—its aid awards often rival those of wealthier peers.
F&M is the Goldilocks of liberal arts colleges: selective enough to feel prestigious, but not so cutthroat that students drown. Its science programs punch above their weight (biochemistry grads often land top med schools), while creative writing and arts certificates attract quirky, interdisciplinary types. The College House system fosters community without feeling gimmicky, and Lancaster—a charming small city with Amtrak access to Philly—offers more than the typical college town. For students who want rigor without the Ivy League ego, F&M is a compelling choice—if the aid package works.
