Franklin and Marshall College

What Franklin and Marshall College does

Franklin and Marshall College is a private liberal arts college located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with origins dating to 1787 and a consolidated charter in 1853. It serves approximately 2,400 undergraduate students through residential liberal arts and sciences programs, supported by a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an F&M fellowship-based experiential learning model. Core academic products include the traditional liberal arts degree, the AI@F&M program layering artificial intelligence literacy across the curriculum, and pre-professional pathways including pre-medicine anchored by a partnership with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. The college also operates the F&M Poll, a longstanding independent public opinion research program functioning as an institutional research asset.

Revenue mechanics follow the standard private nonprofit college model: tuition and fees (published comprehensive fee near $80,000 per year, net of institutional aid), room and board, endowment spending, and philanthropic giving. Pricing was restructured in Fall 2025 with the launch of the Commonwealth Commitment, a Pennsylvania-targeted financial aid program intended to broaden access for middle-class in-state families. Distribution is driven by admissions marketing, yield events, and selective out-of-state recruitment; the institution does not operate a distributed channel model. Customer segments are individual prospective students (primarily from Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic) and their families, with alumni constituting a secondary segment for fundraising.

Name

Franklin and Marshall College

Legal name

Franklin & Marshall College

Website

https://fandm.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Franklin and Marshall College is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, serving approximately 2,400 undergraduates through residential programs with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, an AI@F&M curriculum, fellowship-based experiential learning, and the F&M Poll research program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secular/Nonsectarian Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAG)

Keywords

• Undergraduate liberal arts education
• Private college education
• Experiential learning programs
• Residential college experience
• Need-based financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate tuition and fees charged to students. The college offers need-based and merit-based financial aid to support enrollment.
2. Private Philanthropy and Grants: Significant revenue from charitable donations, endowment distributions, and foundation grants including the Ken Mehlman $7.5 million gift for athletics, Richard C von Hess Foundation $250,000 grant for artists-in-residence, and other major gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Franklin & Marshall College is a private liberal arts college offering undergraduate education across multiple academic disciplines. It provides degree programs, experiential learning (research, internships, study abroad), fellowship programs in climate and sustainability, creative writing, entrepreneurship, and public service with $15,000 annual merit scholarships, Division III athletics, and the Commonwealth Commitment financial aid program providing tuition-free attendance for PA residents earning under $75,000.

Product overview

Franklin & Marshall College is a private liberal arts college offering undergraduate education across multiple disciplines. The institution provides a unified educational experience combining academic programs (undergraduate degrees across fields of study), experiential learning (research, internships, study abroad), financial aid programs (Commonwealth Commitment, fellowships with $15,000 annual merit scholarships), and campus facilities (performing arts theaters, athletics centers, vivarium). Key distinctive offerings include the Franklin & Marshall College Poll (public opinion research), AI @ F&M (ethical AI education), fellowship programs in climate/sustainability, creative writing, entrepreneurship, and public service, and the Commonwealth Commitment financial aid initiative. Students access courses through Blackboard LMS, career services via HandShake, and the alumni network through iModules. The institution operates performing arts venues including the James Lapine Theater (formerly Green Room Theatre, 205 seats) and Roschel Performing Arts Center, along with athletics facilities serving 28 Division III sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Commonwealth Commitment: Financial aid program launched in Fall 2025 offering tuition-free attendance for PA residents with household incomes below $75,000 and reduced tuition capped at Penn State rates for those earning up to $150,000.
• Franklin & Marshall College Poll
• Center for Opinion Research

Products and services

• Fellowship Programs Four distinctive fellowship programs in climate and sustainability, creative writing, entrepreneurship, and public service. Each Fellow receives a four-year merit scholarship of $15,000 annually, deep mentorship, and living-learning community membership. Designed for undergraduate students seeking cohort-based thematic study.
• Franklin & Marshall College Poll The oldest statewide public opinion poll in Pennsylvania, published by the Center for Opinion Research at F&M. Recognized as one of the nation's foremost survey research organizations and trusted by national media outlets. Provides students with hands-on experience in survey research.
• Commonwealth Commitment Financial Aid Program Financial aid initiative launched Fall 2025 offering tuition-free attendance for Pennsylvania residents with household incomes below $75,000 and Penn State rate-capped tuition for PA residents earning $75,000-$150,000. Targets the affordability gap for middle-class Pennsylvania families.
• AI @ F&M Curriculum Academic program integrating AI into the liberal arts curriculum. Frames AI as a tool for inquiry taught with ethical and responsible lens, developing students' technical proficiency alongside critical thinking, ethical judgment, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Diplomat Athletics NCAA Division III athletics program offering 28 varsity sports along with club sports, intramurals, and recreation facilities including Alumni Sports & Fitness Center, Mayser Center, and Diplomat Strength Center. Includes the Mehlman Center for Strength, Conditioning, Wellness and Performance currently under construction.
• Real-World Learning Programs Experiential learning opportunities including undergraduate research, internships, off-campus study, and community engagement programs delivered through partnerships with Lancaster city organizations.
• College Houses Residential System Residential living-learning communities including Bonchek College House, Brooks College House, Roschel College House, Ware College House, and Weis College House, providing themed residential experiences integrated with academic programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of Class of 2025 graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Penn Medicine Lancaster General HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Healthcare partnership providing the Student Wellness Center, a fully integrated center offering accessible, confidential, high-quality medical and mental health services to support student wellbeing.
• Coalition for Access, Technolutions, The Common Application, FrontRush, Hobbson's, RaiseMe, CHEGG, and The College BoardcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party partners assisting with admissions processes including identifying potential applicants, processing inquiries, tour scheduling, email marketing, and application processing.
• iModulescoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party partner providing alumni portal, processing online gifts, sending email communications, and accepting online event registrations.
• Lancaster General HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing pre-med students with shadowing opportunities and deeper understanding of healthcare careers through observation of professionals in practice.
• YWCA LancastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus advocates with specialized experience offering resources for advocacy, support, and education on sexual assault prevention and counseling.
• Domestic Violence Services of LancastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing campus advocates and resources for domestic violence support and education.
• Lancaster Shakespeare TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity theatre partnership providing students and community opportunities to participate in theatrical productions at F&M's Green Room Theatre/James Lapine Theater.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Muhlenberg College: A private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, recruiting from the same PA/Lehigh Valley applicant pool and competing in the same U.S. News liberal arts ranking band as F&M.
• Allegheny College: A private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, comparable in size, tuition-discount exposure, and undergraduate liberal arts focus, recruiting from the same regional applicant pool.
• Gettysburg College: A private liberal arts college in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with an overlapping PA-based recruitment footprint, similar tuition-discount dynamics, and comparable tier of national liberal arts rankings.
• Juniata College: A private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, with a similar experiential-learning emphasis and PA-centered recruitment, serving a comparable mid-tier liberal arts applicant base.
• Haverford College: A highly selective private liberal arts college located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, competing head-to-head with F&M for top PA recruits, with stronger historic brand equity and a larger endowment.
• Dickinson College: A private liberal arts college also located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving a similar undergraduate population with a similar residential, faculty-engaged model and comparable U.S. News liberal arts rankings.
• Bucknell University: A private liberal arts university in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, comparable in PA-based residential liberal arts model, with similar offerings in pre-professional pathways and NCAA Division I athletics.
• Ursinus College: A private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, with overlapping PA recruitment footprint, similar faculty-engaged model, and comparable outcomes-focused positioning.
• Lafayette College: A private liberal arts and engineering college in Easton, Pennsylvania, targeting similar high-achieving undergraduates from the Northeast and competing for the same pool of PA and Mid-Atlantic applicants.
• Elizabethtown College: A private liberal arts college in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, with overlapping PA recruitment, similar tuition-discount strategies to attract middle-class families, and broadly comparable programmatic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fandmcollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/27390496013
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/18336
• Instagraminstagram.com/fandmcollege

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franklin and Marshall College