More selective than 62% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $50,865. College Scorecard.
Higher than 81% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 53% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Elizabethtown College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,551 applicants, Elizabethtown College admitted 2,726 and 529 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1105–1310 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Elizabethtown College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Elizabethtown College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Elizabethtown College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,776 | $72,171 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $17,113 | $69,479 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $20,967 | $85,126 | 3.2 years |
| $75–110k | $25,064 | $101,760 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $31,198 | $126,664 | 4.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (73% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($62,399) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,602 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Elizabethtown College majors, earnings & careers
Elizabethtown College offers 60 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Engineering · 3
- Education · 2
Highest-earning majors at Elizabethtown College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $88,104 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $83,075 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $73,542 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $73,358 | $27,000 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $69,614 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $63,073 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $54,837 | — |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $54,337 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 60 majors
- Accounting$83,075
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$73,542
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$73,358
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$49,514
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Criminal Justice—
- Criminology—
- Data Analytics—
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$54,337
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering$88,104
- English—
- Finance—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$69,614
- History—
- Human Services$51,224
- Industrial Engineering—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$63,073
- Psychology$47,359
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$54,837
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lancaster
Overall prices in the Lancaster, PA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,553. Housing costs 6% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 24 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Lancaster County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Lancaster County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Elizabethtown College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown College | 78% | $26,598 | 76% | $62,399 | This school |
| Saint Francis University | 77% | $23,526 | 74% | $62,101 | |
| Messiah University | 79% | $26,502 | 75% | $54,064 | |
| DeSales University | 77% | $31,643 | 72% | $61,295 | |
| Juniata College | 79% | $23,988 | 74% | $56,918 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Elizabethtown College would cost you $3,072 more per year than Saint Francis University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Elizabethtown College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$6,050).
- Saint Francis University gives aided families $12,022 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Elizabethtown College | Saint Francis University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $37,950 | $44,000 | −$6,050 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $2,000 | −$900 |
| Housing & meals | $12,954 | $13,880 | −$926 |
| Personal & travel | $1,050 | $3,000 | −$1,950 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,189 | −$3,065 | +$876 |
| Sticker price | $50,865 | $59,815 | −$8,950 |
| Average grants | −$24,267 | −$36,289 | +$12,022 |
| You pay | $26,598 | $23,526 | +$3,072 |
“+” means Elizabethtown College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Elizabethtown College
What is the Elizabethtown College acceptance rate?
Elizabethtown College accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,726 of 3,551 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1105–1310 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
How much does Elizabethtown College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $50,865 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $26,598 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,776 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,198.
How much do Elizabethtown College graduates earn?
Former Elizabethtown College students earn a median $62,399 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Elizabethtown College graduation rate?
76% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a Elizabethtown College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Elizabethtown College costs about $85,126 after grants ($20,967 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $62,399 ten years after starting, $26,602 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Elizabethtown College the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Elizabethtown College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/elizabethtown-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).