About Elizabethtown College
Our commitment is to Educate for Service. We believe that learning is most noble when used to benefit others, regardless of chosen career path. We prepare our students to lead rich lives of purpose and meaning, while advancing independent thought, personal integrity and social responsibility. These are the foundations for a life of learning. We foster the values of peace, non-violence, human dignity and social justice.
Quick Facts
Traditions
There are numerous official (and unofficial) traditions to help you connect to campus and your fellow students, alumni, staff and faculty. More about our Traditions
Educational Philosophy
Elizabethtown College believes that students can perform no greater service than sharing knowledge and creativity with others. Our Educational Philosophy
At a Glance
Elizabethtown College, with 1,633 undergraduates from 29 states and 16 foreign countries, is an independent, residential, coeducational college in historic Lancaster County, in south-central Pennsylvania. The College, established by the Church of the Brethren in 1899, maintains 19 academic departments, offering 56 majors, 45 minors. The core curriculum emphasizes the arts, humanities and sciences.
History
Elizabethtown College was chartered in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren who were interested in establishing an institution of higher education for their denomination in eastern Pennsylvania. Read more
Location
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania is located in western Lancaster County. The College is also a short drive from the state capital, Harrisburg, and popular entertainment destination, Hershey.
Campus
- 204-acre campus
- Academic Buildings
- Residential Halls
- Performance Venues and Galleries
Academics
- 19 academic departments offer 56 undergraduate majors, 108 minors/concentrations, and 29 cooperative programs with other institutions
- Core curriculum emphasizing the arts, humanities and sciences to develop interpersonal communication, writing, creative thinking and decision-making and problem-solving skills
- 11:1 student/faculty ratio
- 17 students in average undergraduate class
- Offers Honors Program and several honor societies
- 241,257 volumes in circulation at High Library
- Four master's programs
Faculty
- 124 full-time faculty (traditional college)
- 94.4 percent of full-time faculty hold doctorate and/or terminal degrees in respective fields
- 98 part-time faculty (traditional college & School of Continuing and Professional Studies)
Student Life
- Approximately 1,633 undergraduate students
- 84 percent of students live on campus
- 80+ clubs and organizations
Athletics
- 24 NCAA Division III athletic teams
- Intramural and club sports
Recognition
- Named to Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
- Ranked 26th in Pennsylvania and 113th nationally in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Liberal Arts Colleges"
- Member of the Leadership Consortium for the Association of American Colleges and Universities" national initiative "Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility"
- Recent graduates were awarded Fulbright, Rhodes and Goldwater scholarships
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission for Higher Education, http://www.msche.org, (MSCHE)
- American Chemical Society for Clinical Lab Services, http://www.acs.org, (ACS)
- National Association of Schools of Music, http://nasm.arts-accredit.org, (NASM)
- National Council on Social Work Education, http://www.cswe.org, (CSWE)
- Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, http://www.aota.org, (ACOTE)
- Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, http://www.acbsp.org, (ACBSP)
- Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, for Computer Engineering and Engineering
Diversity at E-town
2018-19 Undergraduate / Degree-seeking
Full-time Students: 1586 (28 international students)
- White: 1377 students (86.8%)
- Asian: 60 students (3.8%)
- Hispanic/Latino: 57 students (3.6%)
- Black: 47 students (3.0%)
- Two or more races: 31 students (2.0%)
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 3 students (0.2%)
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 1 student (0.1%)
- Unknown: 10 students (0.6%)
Part-time Students: 262
- White: 219
- Black/African-American: 19
- Hispanic: 19
- Asian: 3
- Native Hawaiian / other Pacific Islander: 1
- Two or more races: 1
Full-time Faculty
Full-time Faculty: 124
- White: 107
- Asian: 7 (3 international faculty members)
- Hispanic: 6
- Black/African-American: 4 (3 international faculty members)
Part-time Faculty
Part-time Faculty: 98
- White: 88 (1 international faculty member)
- Asian: 3 (International faculty members)
- Hispanic: 2
- Black/African-American: 3
- Unknown: 2
Staff
Administration & Staff (full- and part-time): 381
- White: 349
- Black or African American: 12
- Hispanic: 10
- Asian: 9 (1 international staff member)
- Race and Ethnicity unknown: 1