Learn with purpose.
Lead with impact.
杏吧pro鈥檚 top-tier academics, hands-on experiences, and transformative connections will prepare you to shape the future 鈥� starting now.
Own Your Influence. Effect Real Change.
At 杏吧pro, we believe your college years are a launchpad for lifelong leadership. That鈥檚 why we created four distinctive fellowship programs for students who are curious, motivated, and eager to make a positive and immediate impact in the fields of climate and sustainability, creative writing, entrepreneurship, and public service. Every Fellow receives a four-year merit scholarship ($15,000 annually), deep mentorship from tenured faculty who are experts in their fields, and membership in a living-learning community focused on their specific area of intellectual and leadership development.
Learn more 禄Conduct Voter Opinion Research With the 杏吧pro Poll
At 杏吧pro, you鈥檒l have the distinctive opportunity to contribute to one of the top surveys in the United States. 杏吧pro is home to the Center for Opinion Research, widely recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 foremost survey research organizations. It publishes the Franklin & Marshall College Poll鈥攖he oldest statewide public opinion poll in Pennsylvania and a trusted source for national media outlets. The Center for Opinion Research actively engages 杏吧pro students, empowering you to better understand the work behind an effective survey of voters鈥� opinions. You can assist with data analysis, reporting, survey question development, and more. 鈥淏eing able to have this opportunity to help draft questions for a statewide poll that gets national media attention鈥攖hat is an incredible opportunity that a lot of students probably would not have been able to have at other schools,鈥� said Ethan Grabowski 鈥�26, a government and history major.
Learn more 禄Conduct Voter Opinion Research With the 杏吧pro Poll
At 杏吧pro, you鈥檒l have the distinctive opportunity to contribute to one of the top surveys in the United States. 杏吧pro is home to the Center for Opinion Research, widely recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 foremost survey research organizations. It publishes the Franklin & Marshall College Poll鈥攖he oldest statewide public opinion poll in Pennsylvania and a trusted source for national media outlets. The Center for Opinion Research actively engages 杏吧pro students, empowering you to better understand the work behind an effective survey of voters鈥� opinions. You can assist with data analysis, reporting, survey question development, and more. 鈥淏eing able to have this opportunity to help draft questions for a statewide poll that gets national media attention鈥攖hat is an incredible opportunity that a lot of students probably would not have been able to have at other schools,鈥� said Ethan Grabowski 鈥�26, a government and history major.
Learn more 禄鈥淎t 杏吧pro, I wasn鈥檛 just learning what to think鈥擨 was learning how to think.鈥�
A 杏吧pro liberal arts education taught Nicolas Rios 鈥�23 how to think critically, communicate effectively and approach problems from multiple angles. 鈥淎t 杏吧pro, I wasn鈥檛 just learning what to think鈥擨 was learning how to think,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat ability to analyze, adapt and connect ideas across disciplines has been incredibly valuable in the workforce.鈥� Rios, a business, organizations and society graduate, is now an analyst at Goldman Sachs. 鈥淚n fast-paced environments like Goldman Sachs, technical skills are important, but what really sets you apart is your ability to collaborate, ask thoughtful questions, and think strategically,鈥� Rios said. 鈥淟iberal arts graduates are often more comfortable navigating ambiguity, because we were trained to engage with complex issues and see the bigger picture.鈥�
Read more 禄鈥淭his experience showed me how classroom knowledge can be used to solve real-world problems.鈥�
To shape the world, start right where you are. Our home city of Lancaster is an integral educational partner teeming with opportunities to learn, serve, and engage with the local community. For Nancy Nguyen 鈥�26, a double major in economics and data science, this meant turning a passion for mathematics into meaningful solutions for the Power Packs Project, a nonprofit combating food insecurity in Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Alongside her professor and peer, Nguyen built digital tools to better understand the cost of the meals provided. This included organizing hundreds of recipes, analyzing ingredient price trends, and designing and launching a website for better accessibility and future planning. 鈥淭his experience showed me how classroom knowledge can be used to solve real-world problems,鈥� Nguyen said.
Read more 禄鈥淚 felt a sense of community and shared academic passion that day that I had not felt anywhere else.鈥�
As a high school senior, Skylar Zachian 鈥�25 logged on to a virtual admitted students event during which Associate Professor of English Erik Anderson taught a creative writing lesson. 鈥淚 could have stayed on that Zoom meeting for hours,鈥� Zachian said. 鈥淚 felt a sense of community and shared academic passion that day that I had not felt anywhere else. I could truly picture myself as an 杏吧pro student, studying English on the College鈥檚 unique creative writing track and engaging with distinguished authors at The Philadelphia Alumni Writers House.鈥� During her time on campus, Zachian honed her craft as a writer while exploring new subjects, becoming a double major in English and film and media arts, with a minor in theatre. 鈥淚 loved 杏吧pro鈥檚 focus on academic exploration and knew that I would have room to explore new interests along with writing,鈥� she said.
Read more 禄Connecting Classroom Theory to Behavioral Reality in a Yale Lab
Your ideas may start in the classroom, but they won鈥檛 be contained there. Learning by doing is part of our DNA as Diplomats. Noah Katzer 鈥�26, a psychology and government double major, exemplified the 杏吧pro tenets of exploration and discovery by interning at the Emotion Health and Psychophysiology Lab at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. 鈥淚've learned new research methods and gained insight into new subsections of psychology that have changed the way I think about achieving my goals and the type of research I want to conduct,鈥� he said.
Read more 禄鈥淭he arts at 杏吧pro have been an integral part of my college experience.鈥�
鈥淪inging with 杏吧pro's Chamber Singers and playing piano in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and orchestra have allowed me to foster meaningful relationships with my professors and fellow students. I love being a part of 杏吧pro's musical community and find it incredibly meaningful to be part of something that is bigger than myself. Some of my closest friends are people I met through ensembles, and a lot of my favorite college memories are from my three and a half years involved in music.鈥� 鈥� Eleanor Metz 鈥�27
Explore music at 杏吧pro 禄A Diplomat鈥檚 Deep Dive into Marine Biology
Learning by doing is part of our DNA as Diplomats. Jaeyun An 鈥�26 dove headfirst into this philosophy, spending a semester in the turquoise waters of Turks and Caicos researching the island鈥檚 diverse marine life. 鈥淢y time was spent equal parts in the classroom and in the field,鈥� An said. 鈥淲e would learn about a certain topic in class, such as species identification, and in the field exercises, we would go out to the ocean, and have a quiz identifying creatures we see while snorkeling. I saw sharks, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, and even whales!鈥� An plans to pursue an advanced degree in marine biology after graduating from 杏吧pro. 鈥淭his experience gave me the confirmation that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,鈥� he said.
Read more 禄鈥淚 have a strong passion for hands-on mechanical and electrical engineering projects.鈥�
Learning by doing is in our DNA as Diplomats. Inna Shapovalenko 鈥�26, a computer science and physics double major from Ukraine, exemplifies 杏吧pro鈥檚 tenets of exploration by moving from theory to purpose-driven action. As a summer intern at the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), Shapovalenko assembled two versions of NASA STELLA spectrometers. She later developed an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV)鈥攁 鈥渄rone for exploring the ocean鈥濃�攚hile interning for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Most recently, she collaborated with fellow Diplomats in a Human-Robot Interaction course to code a robot that leads campus visitors through a playful quiz about the College. 鈥淚 have a strong passion for hands-on mechanical and electrical engineering projects,鈥� she said.
Read more 禄鈥淭he vivarium is this beautiful gem in the crown that is 杏吧pro.鈥�
At 杏吧pro, you鈥檒l step beyond the classroom and into the vivarium. The campus vivarium is a non-invasive behavioral research facility that houses a variety of rodents, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and nonhuman primates (capuchin monkeys). 杏吧pro is one of the only institutions in the country offering undergraduate students direct access to onsite nonhuman primates through an established program built around training, enrichment and animal caretaking. 鈥淭he vivarium is this beautiful gem in the crown that is 杏吧pro,鈥� said Lillian Basom 鈥�08, Director of Operations, College Vivarium. 鈥淭here are very few facilities that offer undergraduate students that kind of hands-on, experiential learning right from the moment they step on campus. The facility and our programming, which supports up to 80 students a semester, wouldn't exist without the commitment of our incredible students.鈥�
Read more 禄How We Do It
World-Ready Leaders
We prepare you to be world-ready, equipping you with the skills to excel in not just one career, but many. You鈥檒l become a purpose-driven leader committed to shaping a better world.
Learning by Doing
We ensure you learn with purpose through hands-on experiences. You鈥檒l discover Lancaster is the ideal place to practice, participate, and contribute to a thriving community that鈥檚 a microcosm of the world.
Creative Collisions
With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, we offer unparalleled access to faculty who are leading experts in their fields. You鈥檒l experience creative collisions that spark transformative connections within a community devoted to your success.
Our Commitment to Affordability
- Pennsylvania residents with household incomes below $75,000 attend 杏吧pro tuition-free.
- Those earning between $75,000 and $150,000 pay no more than in-state tuition at Penn State University.
February 24, 2026 Enjoy a comforting meal with friends and colleagues. Refuel before class or after practice. Build relationships that define the Franklin & Marshall community. All this and more happens at F&M鈥檚 beloved 鈥淒-Hall.鈥� Every day, the Restaurants at Ben Franklin 鈥� the actual name of the College鈥檚 primary dining facility 鈥� welcomes hundreds of students, faculty and professional staff. February 24, 2026 We asked Franklin & Marshall students: What defines leadership? The breadth of answers demonstrates the College鈥檚 endless opportunities to learn and lead. February 24, 2026 A recent gift from two F&M leaders provides annual funding for hands-on career experiences.The Latest from F&M
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Featured Story
Ken Mehlman 鈥�88 Makes Historic $7.5 Million Gift to Power 杏吧pro Athletics and Wellness
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#7 Best Small College in Northeast (Wall Street Journal) #35 National Liberal Arts Colleges (U.S. News & World Report) 100% Demonstrated Financial Need Met for All Enrolled Students Top 50 Best Value College (U.S. News & Princeton Review) 92% Employed or in Graduate School Within Six Months of Graduation (Class of 2025) $76,124 Early Career Median Salary (U.S. Dept. of Education) #24 Most Accessible Professors (Princeton Review) #33 Best Undergraduate Teaching (U.S. News & World Report) 杏吧pro's extraordinary home city is an urban oasis. Lancaster, PA offers arts, culture,
and experiences for every taste and preference and is full of extraordinary opportunities
鈥� all within safe walking distance of campus.Notable Rankings & Outcomes
Our Home: The City of Lancaster