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
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 杏吧pro 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. 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
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 杏吧pro 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. 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.
Read more 禄鈥淭his experience showed me how classroom knowledge can be used to solve real-world problems.鈥�
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. 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�
Read more 禄Connecting Classroom Theory to Behavioral Reality in a Yale Lab
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! This experience gave me the confirmation that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.鈥�
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, exemplifies this tenet of hands-on exploration. 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. She also helped code a robot that leads 杏吧pro 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. 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
We are committed to making an 杏吧pro education accessible for all admitted students. That鈥檚 why we launched the Commonwealth Commitment this year. Through this bold initiative:
- 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.
Learn more about our need-based aid, which supports 65% of all enrolled 杏吧pro students, including international students.
Where Liberal Arts Meets AI
At 杏吧pro, we frame AI as a tool for inquiry, teaching you to navigate its complexities with an ethical and responsible lens. As you explore the technology鈥檚 potential, you will become technically proficient while sharpening the high-level critical thinking, ethical judgment, and creative problem-solving skills that are more important than ever. This is the 杏吧pro advantage: mastering the tools of the future while cultivating the timeless humanist perspectives that will set you apart.
March 6, 2026 The Alice Drum Women鈥檚 Center has served as a welcoming space to students since 1992, but something was missing. A new mural by Hope Clarke 鈥�27 draws attention to the Center and legacies of pioneering women. March 5, 2026 Voters don't approve of the tactics of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) and oppose nationalizing the elections, according to the latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll. March 4, 2026 Learning by doing is a hallmark of the Diplomat experience. For Abby Jones 鈥�28, this philosophy comes to life at the College Library in a role that blends her love of reading, writing, and stories. 鈥淚鈥檝e always loved libraries, and was excited to step into a job where I鈥檇 get to work with a lot of the books in a more hands-on way,鈥� she said.The Latest from F&M
New Student Mural Celebrates Historic Women
F&M Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Democratic Principles
A Peek Behind the Stacks: A Student鈥檚 Role in the College Library
Featured Story
Ken Mehlman 鈥�88 Makes Historic $7.5 Million Gift to Power 杏吧pro Athletics and Wellness
Read More 禄
#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