Franklin & Marshall: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially Franklin and Marshall College · Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2024-2025
- Test-optional
- Early Decision
- Early Decision II
- 9,881
- Applicants
- 2,785
- Admitted28%
- 477
- Enrolled
- 17%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Selective28% admittedRanked #34 (tie) in National Liberal Arts CollegesU.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set published by Franklin and Marshall College, read on 2026-06-15.
Is Franklin & Marshall a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Franklin & Marshall against it in about a minute. No account needed.
Franklin & Marshall is a private nonprofit university in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that admits about 28% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $36,425 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Political Science and Government, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 84% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 5.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Franklin & Marshall is a private institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Franklin & Marshall admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 28%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT around 1380. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $36,425 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What GPA does my child need for Franklin & Marshall?
Admitted students at Franklin & Marshall typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
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What does Franklin & Marshall weight in admissions?
Franklin & Marshall reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). What the weights mean
Very Important
4- Rigor of secondary school record
- Class rank
- Academic GPA
- Character/personal qualities
Important
7- Standardized test scores
- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Interview
- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Volunteer work
Considered
4- Alumni/ae relation
- Geographical residence
- Work experience
- Level of applicant's interest
Not Considered
3- First generation status
- State residency
- Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Franklin & Marshall typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 650–733. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1330 |
| 50th percentile | 1380 |
| 75th percentile | 1430 |
| % submitting SAT | 25% |
| 25th percentile | 30 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 33 |
| % submitting ACT | 9% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Test-optional for 30+ years with a 'no harm' review: scores only considered if they strengthen the application; superscored.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on Franklin & Marshall's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 50% |
| Top 25% of class | 97% |
| Top 50% of class | 97% |
| % submitting class rank | 23% |
How much does Franklin & Marshall actually cost?
Published tuition is $70,794 for in-state students and $70,794 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,188 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $36,425 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $70,566 |
| Room and board | $6,654 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $36,425 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 100% |
| Average need-based grant | $53,864 |
| Average merit award, no financial need121 first-year students received one | $19,876 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 60% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $32,863 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA and CSS Profile (incl. noncustodial parent)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $62 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Franklin & Marshall
| Regular deadline | January 6 |
| Notification date | April 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 15 |
| Offers Early Decision II | Yes |
| ED II deadline | January 6 |
| ED acceptance rate (all rounds) | 28% |
Will my child graduate from Franklin & Marshall?
These predict outcomes at Franklin & Marshall better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at Franklin & Marshall
The most popular undergraduate programs at Franklin & Marshall, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Political Science and Government. Across all programs, Franklin & Marshall confers roughly 385 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other program report a median income of about $78,260 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 82 | $78,260 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 60 | $88,150 |
| Political Science and Government | 55 | $71,360 |
| Economics | 46 | $75,967 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 41 | n/a |
| Public Health | 38 | n/a |
| Biology, General | 34 | n/a |
| Mathematics | 29 | n/a |
Is Franklin & Marshall safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Franklin & Marshall disclosed 10 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 5.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 8 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at Franklin & Marshall?
About 97% of undergraduates at Franklin & Marshall live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 3% of men join a fraternity and 19% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Pennsylvania parents ask about
Next steps for Franklin & Marshall
Common questions parents ask about Franklin & Marshall
What GPA do I need for Franklin & Marshall?
Admitted students at Franklin & Marshall typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Franklin & Marshall typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 650–733. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33.
How much does Franklin & Marshall actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Franklin & Marshall after grants and scholarships is $36,425 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $70,794. Budget against the net figure.
Is Franklin & Marshall realistic for my child?
Franklin & Marshall admits 28% of applicants, so 650–733 SAT Math is target range and below 650 is a reach. Then check the $36,425 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Franklin & Marshall?
Franklin & Marshall accepts about 28% of applicants out of roughly 9,881 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is Franklin & Marshall test-optional?
Yes. Franklin & Marshall is test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Franklin & Marshall?
About 84% of students at Franklin & Marshall graduate within six years. 90% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Franklin & Marshall?
Franklin & Marshall's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 28%, compared with its overall rate of 28%. The ED rate is not materially higher here, so weigh the binding commitment carefully.
What does Franklin & Marshall look for in applicants?
Franklin & Marshall rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and character and personal qualities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Franklin & Marshall a public or private school, and where is it located?
Franklin & Marshall is a private nonprofit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
What are the most popular majors at Franklin & Marshall?
The largest undergraduate majors at Franklin & Marshall by annual graduates are Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Political Science and Government. The school awards about 385 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Franklin & Marshall safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Franklin & Marshall reported 10 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 5.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Franklin & Marshall?
At Franklin & Marshall, 97% of undergraduates live on campus, 3% of men are in fraternities, 19% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Franklin and Marshall College, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers