About Gettysburg College

Founded in 1832, the College upholds a rigorous commitment to the liberal arts in all their breadth and depth. Combined with experiential learning and a drive 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.

Gettysburg College and the Civil War

Penn Hall

At a glance

  • 2,400 students from more than 40 states and 51 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 17
  • 41 majors and 40 minors, 120+ clubs and organizations, 1,000+ leadership opportunities
  • Home to Goldwater, Rhodes, Fulbright, and others prestigious fellowship recipients
  • Career connected: 98% are employed or attending graduate school within a year after graduation
  • Global study: Ranked #3 in Pennsylvania and #8 in the nation for semester-long study abroad
  • Top rankings for: classroom experiences, internships, alumni network, science and lab facilities, and campus food
Penn Hall Archive

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.

Read more about the College’s history

Lincoln Statue

Facts & Figures

Explore historical data for the College, including information about our student body, alumni, faculty, and more.

Visit Facts & Figures

Find out what it means to Do Great Work

Green and orange colored trees on Gettysburg College campus, with a student cycling from afar.