More selective than 94% 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 $85,776. College Scorecard.
Higher than 91% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 92% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 89% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 90% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
F&M acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,231 applicants, Franklin and Marshall College admitted 2,938 and 553 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1463 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
F&M 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 F&M costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Franklin and Marshall 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 | $12,321 | $50,270 | 1.2 years |
| $30–48k | $16,942 | $69,123 | 1.7 years |
| $48–75k | $16,245 | $66,280 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $25,104 | $102,424 | 2.5 years |
| $110k+ | $49,996 | $203,984 | 5.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (80% 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 ($76,124) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $40,327 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.
F&M majors, earnings & careers
Franklin and Marshall College offers 37 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 11
- Arts & Design · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Business & Finance · 2
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at F&M
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $101,895 | $19,500 |
| Economics | $90,368 | $23,048 |
| Public Health | $75,867 | $20,875 |
| Political Science | $74,822 | $19,000 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $74,099 | $19,875 |
| Sociology | $63,251 | $19,000 |
Quick list of all 37 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$101,895
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Economics$90,368
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$74,099
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$74,822
- Psychology—
- Public Health$75,867
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$63,251
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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
Public Health → Health education specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% 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, 21 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 F&M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin and Marshall College | 28% | $36,425 | 84% | $76,124 | This school |
| Bryn Mawr College | 29% | $31,759 | 82% | $75,217 | |
| Lafayette College | 31% | $34,433 | 88% | $91,410 | |
| Gettysburg College | 39% | $31,490 | 83% | $71,517 | |
| Bucknell University | 29% | $40,766 | 86% | $93,807 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Franklin and Marshall College would cost you $4,666 more per year than Bryn Mawr College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Franklin and Marshall College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$4,874).
- Bryn Mawr College gives aided families $2,140 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | F&M | Bryn Mawr College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $70,794 | $65,920 | +$4,874 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,000 | −$200 |
| Housing & meals | $15,568 | $18,690 | −$3,122 |
| Personal & travel | $1,270 | $1,000 | +$270 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,656 | −$3,360 | +$704 |
| Sticker price | $85,776 | $83,250 | +$2,526 |
| Average grants | −$49,351 | −$51,491 | +$2,140 |
| You pay | $36,425 | $31,759 | +$4,666 |
“+” means F&M 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 F&M
What is the F&M acceptance rate?
Franklin and Marshall College accepts 28% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,938 of 9,231 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1463 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
How much does Franklin and Marshall College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $85,776 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $36,425 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,321 and families earning $110k+ pay $49,996.
How much do F&M graduates earn?
Former Franklin and Marshall College students earn a median $76,124 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the F&M graduation rate?
84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year.
How long does a F&M degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Franklin and Marshall College costs about $66,280 after grants ($16,245 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $76,124 ten years after starting, $40,327 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 1.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Franklin and Marshall College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/franklin-and-marshall-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).