Elizabethtown College

Private · Moderately Selective · PA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,868

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate69.2%

6-yr grad rate76.2%

Drop-out rate16.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$38k

Out-of-state tuition$38k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity16.6%

Gender diversity58.5%

International1.8%

Identity—

Overview

Elizabethtown College is a small private college in central Pennsylvania with roots in the Church of the Brethren, a peace-church tradition that still informs its institutional values even as the student body has become broadly non-denominational. Its motto, "Educate for Service," shows up in curriculum requirements and a real expectation of community engagement, not just branding.

Academics

Occupational therapy is the college's most distinctive program, typically structured as an accelerated pathway to a master's degree, and engineering and business are similarly well regarded for a college of its size. Hands-on, applied learning — labs, clinical placements, co-ops — is emphasized across majors rather than concentrated only in the professional programs.

Campus & student life

The central Pennsylvania location, between Harrisburg and Lancaster, gives students a quiet residential setting with access to Amish Country and mid-sized cities rather than a large-city social scene. Most students live on campus, and the Brethren peace tradition shows up in a visible service and social-justice culture alongside conventional student life.

Getting in

The college reviews applications holistically, and because signature programs like occupational therapy admit competitively even within the college, prospective students should understand whether they are applying directly into a specific program track.

After graduation

Occupational therapy graduates have strong regional placement given the program's clinical partnerships, and business and engineering graduates place into the Harrisburg-Lancaster-Philadelphia corridor.

Worth knowing

Prospective occupational therapy students should confirm whether admission to the professional program happens at entry or later, since accelerated OT tracks often have their own application checkpoint partway through the degree.

etown.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1105–1310 · ACT 26–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying