Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College promises every student A Consequential Education, imparting a breadth and depth of knowledge and enduring skills through the Gettysburg Approach. Through its rigorous commitment to the liberal arts and exceptional experiential learning opportunities for students, Gettysburg College empowers students to Do Great Work. There are no bystanders here.
When you study at Gettysburg, you’re participating in traditions predating even the iconic battle that gave the town its notoriety and historical significance. Before the Civil War and thereafter, the college has stood as a beacon of intellectualism and socially responsible citizenship.
You can see our values reflected in our mission and our excellence in the proven record of student and alumni success.
At a glance
- 2,200 students from more than 40 states and 55 countries
- Historic setting near urban centers: an hour to Baltimore, 90 minutes to Washington, D.C., two hours to Philadelphia
- Accessible professors: 9 to 1 student-faculty ratio; average class size of 18
- More than 65 academic programs, 140+ clubs and organizations, 1,000+ leadership opportunities
- Home to Goldwater, Rhodes, Fulbright, and others prestigious fellowship recipients
- Career connected: More than 98% of Gettysburg alumni over the past eight years were employed or in graduate school within one year of graduation
- Global study: Ranked second in the nation for study abroad programs by the Institute of International Education
- Top rankings for: classroom experiences, financial aid, first-year experiences, undergraduate teaching, and campus food
College History
Tensions that threatened to tear America apart were already simmering in 1832, when anti-slavery theologian Samuel Simon Schmucker founded what would become Gettysburg College.
Facts & Figures
Explore historical data for the College, including information about our student body, alumni, faculty, and more.
