- Photos
-
-
_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
Franklin and Marshall College is a private institution that was founded in 1787. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,363, its setting is city, and the campus size is 200 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Franklin and Marshall College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 46. Its tuition and fees are $44,360 (2012-13).
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 four college houses, known as Bonchek, Brooks, Schnader, 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. Freshmen and sophomores must live in their college house, and juniors and seniors can choose to as well. In addition to activities through the college houses, students can choose from about 75 clubs and organizations, including nearly a dozen fraternities and sororities. The Greek system draws more males than females; about 35 percent of men join, compared to about 15 percent 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 campus-wide 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 and 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 more than 200 global programs, and about a third of the student body studies abroad in a given semester. Notable alumni of the college include Denis Cortese, president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic; Kenneth M. Duberstein, Ronald Reagan’s former Chief of Staff; and Mary L. Schapiro, chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
| School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): | |
|
Franklin & Marshall is a residential undergraduate liberal arts college that aims to inspire in young people of high promise and diverse backgrounds a genuine and enduring love for learning, to teach them to read, write, and think critically, to instill in them the capacity for both independent and collaborative action, and to educate them to explore and understand the natural, social and cultural worlds in which they live. Historically known for the natural and social sciences, the College also boasts high quality humanities and arts programs, with outstanding facilities for music and theatrical performance and artistic exhibitions. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1787 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $303,321,000 |
Applying
When applying to Franklin and Marshall College, it's important to note the application deadline is February 1, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 1. The application fee at Franklin and Marshall College is $60. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 38.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 38.5% |
| Application deadline | February 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Franklin and Marshall College is 10:1, and the school has 50.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Franklin and Marshall College include: Political Science and Government, General; Business Administration and Management, General; Psychology, General; Sociology; and Economics, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 93.2 percent.
Student Life
Franklin and Marshall College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,363, with a gender distribution of 47.7 percent male students and 52.3 percent female students. At this school, 99.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 1.0 percent of students live off campus. Franklin and Marshall College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 2,363 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | |
|
|
|
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Franklin and Marshall College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Franklin and Marshall College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Franklin and Marshall College.
| Students who have cars on campus | N/A |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Franklin and Marshall College, 43.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $30,597.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $44,360 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $11,750 (2012-13) |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2011 data
