Gettysburg College: the complete school report for parents

What does Gettysburg College actually weigh in admissions?

Gettysburg College rates 4 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, recommendations. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Gettysburg College's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What is the Gettysburg College waitlist really like?

Gettysburg College offered a place on its waiting list to 923 applicants and 345 accepted one. 33 were ultimately admitted. That is 9.6% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Gettysburg College admitted 44.4% of 99 transfer applicants, against 40.1% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Gettysburg College reports its early rounds below.

What will Gettysburg College actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $31,490 a year at Gettysburg College after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $71,730. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 90% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 75 merit awards averaging $41,099 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

68% of Gettysburg College graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $36,243 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $286 a month in repayment. Gettysburg College’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Gettysburg College pay off?

Graduates earn a median $71,517 ten years after entering, and $57,274 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 90% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$103,735 to $51,857, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Gettysburg College:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

91% of first-years return for a second year. 74% graduate within four years and 79% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 82.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 76.0% of everyone else, a gap of -6.0 points.

How big are the classes?

65% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, and 81% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

What is life at Gettysburg College like?

1,993 undergraduates, 69% of first-years from out of state. Greek life is small: 26% of men join a fraternity and 32% of women a sorority. 14% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $84,885.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 33 of 345 who waited were admitted, about 10%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $103,735 five years out against $51,857 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Gettysburg College

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