Gettysburg College: A Comprehensive Look at Rankings, Value, and the Enduring Gettysburg Experience

Gettysburg College, a distinguished liberal arts institution, consistently garners recognition for its academic excellence, commitment to student success, and vibrant campus community. This article delves into Gettysburg College's rankings, its approach to providing a consequential education, and the factors that contribute to its enduring value.

Gettysburg College in National Rankings

Gettysburg College consistently earns top marks for its exceptional academics, career outcomes, and student experience. Year after year, Gettysburg College earns top marks for its exceptional academics, career outcomes, and student experience. U.S. News & World Report continues to rank Gettysburg in the top 50 liberal arts colleges nationwide, according to the 2019 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” In 2017, Gettysburg College was listed as number 46 among the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Gettysburg College is listed in U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, Forbes: America's Top Colleges, PayScale College Salary Report (Bachelor's Only), Scimago Institutions Rankings, MONEY: Best Liberal Arts Colleges, MONEY Best Colleges in America, ranked by value and more.

In the 2025 rankings, Gettysburg College was ranked No. 33 among liberal arts colleges nationwide in Washington Monthly’s rankings. Gettysburg was ranked No. 29 for outcomes and No.

Forbes also ranked Gettysburg No.

Read also: Scholarships and Athletics Guide

Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education rank Gettysburg No. Of the more than 1,000 institutions included in the ranking, the College was No. 37 among liberal arts institutions, and No.

In Time’s Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money” 2018 list, the College was ranked 32 among liberal arts schools, and 146 among all colleges and universities across the country.

Meta-Ranking Standout

Gettysburg College ranks #1 in our meta ranking. In our meta ranking of 108 university rankings Gettysburg College ranks #1 among universities and #139 among universities . In our meta ranking Gettysburg College ranks #139 among all universities and Stanford University ranks #1.

Other Rankings

Gettysburg College has been named No. 5 in the top small schools category (fewer than 5,000 undergraduates) among the Peace Corps’ 2025 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.

The Gettysburg Approach: A Consequential Education

Gettysburg College has always been a place that rises to meet the moment-a place where opportunity sparks meaningful action and where students are empowered to lead lives of consequence. In 2025, Gettysburg College delivered A Consequential Education to every student through new academic, community-building, and student support initiatives.

From First-Year Seminars to senior capstones, Gettysburg College students participate in classes across multiple disciplines through our rigorous, contemporary liberal arts and sciences curriculum. Through the Gettysburg Approach, students acquire knowledge and skills as they synthesize information and ideas, draw connections, and learn and explore in new and different ways.

At Gettysburg College, experiential learning opportunities complement rigorous academic standards. Doing great work in the classroom leads to countless opportunities to make an impact in unlimited career fields, and-thanks to our powerful alumni network-Gettysburgians are integrally connected through our passion and sense of purpose.

Academic Innovation and Growth

The beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year witnessed the introduction of three new majors at Gettysburg College: finance, public health policy, and communication studies. The College also celebrated the launch of its own online Master of Education degree program in educational design and inquiry. In addition, Gettysburg announced several postgraduate academic affiliations throughout the year, including with Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, the M. Chemistry Prof.

Gettysburg’s commitment to lifelong learning was on vivid display this year, particularly through faculty education opportunities offered by the Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL). Several members of Gettysburg’s faculty, including Chemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00, Chemistry Prof. Kate Buettner, and Biology Prof.

Experiential Learning and Career Readiness

A Gettysburg education prepares you not just for your first job, but for a lifetime of success. Through hands-on learning, internships, research opportunities, and alumni connections, you’ll gain real-world experience that sets you apart. Approximately 75% of Gettysburg alumni over the past eight years have completed at least one internship during their time at Gettysburg.

Read also: Paying for Gettysburg College

Global Perspective

Gettysburg College believes that seeing the world transforms your understanding of it. Our nationally-ranked global studies program offers both academic and personal growth, equipping you with a global perspective that enhances your future career. Beyond broadening your horizons, international experiences help you build meaningful relationships and develop a deeper understanding of the world. Gettysburg offers dozens of study abroad opportunities on nearly every continent, ensuring that every Gettysburg student has the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow beyond our campus. We're currently ranked #1 in Pennsylvania and #2 in the United States for our study abroad opportunities.

Campus Life and Community

Located in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, our campus offers a unique blend of rich history and modern opportunities. Here, you’ll experience the best of both worlds-an inspiring and intellectually engaging environment with access to career-building experiences in major cities just a short drive away. And when you step onto campus, you’ll feel it: a sense of belonging and purpose that defines the Gettysburg experience.

Student Engagement

Engage with over 150 student organizations. Find lifelong friendships in our residence halls. Savor diverse dining options in our award-winning dining facilities. Compete at the highest level with our NCAA Division III athletic teams and club sports. Become a proud Bullet and a part of a supportive community that values your voice and ambitions.

Campus Improvements

Gettysburg’s campus saw several key upgrades in 2025. Our new Bloomberg Terminal Lab opened in the College Union Building (CUB), giving students access to real-time financial data, news, and analytics. The College also honored longtime benefactor Clarence B. “Jack” Rogers ’51 by naming the Rogers Center for Innovation and Creativity, now located in Plank Gym with expanded offerings, including an AI Media Lab and a Design Thinking Café. Social spaces for students opened within Plank Gym this year, including an outdoor beer garden. Rounding out the year’s campus improvements, Stine Hall was renovated to create inviting living-learning spaces.

Arts and Culture

For students passionate about music, the Sunderman Conservatory of Music offers an exceptional education rooted in performance, scholarship, and creativity. Whether you aspire to perform professionally, teach, or integrate music into another career path, the Conservatory provides the resources, faculty, and experiences to help you achieve your goals.

In 2025, Gettysburg College celebrated standout programs and milestones-from the Gettysburg Alumni of Color Council’s (GACC) fifth anniversary to the Majestic Theater’s 100th. Alumni from GACC and the Garthwait Leadership Center, marking its 15th year, returned for Homecoming alongside students and staff. In November, the Majestic welcomed world-class performers Natalie MacMaster and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for its Centennial Celebration.

Athletics

Varsity athletics celebrated a new high during the 2024-2025 academic year with teams combining to win more than 67% of their contests. Three teams-women’s basketball, men’s golf, and women’s golf-claimed Centennial Conference championships, and a total of 11 athletic programs were represented at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Gettysburg’s state-of-the-art, 55,000-square-foot John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness is a light-filled, contemporary facility that serves our students. The facility boasts a fitness center, bouldering area, rock-climbing wall, and a natatorium.

The Role of Endowment in Sustaining Excellence

A close look at the rankings reveals a correlation between the size of a school’s endowment and all other measures of quality, prestige, and staying power. It’s simple: the greater the endowment per student, the higher the ranking is likely to be. While endowment is not officially part of the ranking’s criteria, it’s clear that the wealthier institutions are winning out.

A liberal arts education is defined by the individualized student experience. From one-on-one mentoring with faculty-scholars to experiential opportunities tailored to a student’s desired career path-these personalized offerings are now expected by today’s high school prospects. And these experiences don’t come cheap. Institutions with larger endowments have the means to customize their offerings across the curriculum and appeal to a broader range of incoming students, leaving schools with more modest endowments at a distinct disadvantage.

According to the most recent National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)- Commonfund study of endowments, Gettysburg’s endowment per student was roughly $107,000 in 2016. That means Gettysburg has $80,000 less in resources to support each student than our closest competitor cohort, which includes Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson, and nearly $215,000 less than wealthier institutions we compete against for students, like Bucknell and Hamilton. “Our lower endowment balance affects some of our national rankings, which can influence parental and student college choices,” said James L. Chemel ’71, Board of Trustees chair.

Understanding the Endowment

The College’s endowment is meant to provide financial support for the College’s mission in perpetuity-that is, forever. The College operating budget is akin to a personal budget: money comes in-in Gettysburg’s case, through tuition and room and board-and those funds are used to pay for everyday expenses. But there’s a twist. Net student revenue-although significant-does not cover the total cost of running the College in today’s hyper-competitive higher education environment. More funds are needed. “The College is a subsidized operation,” said Vice President for Finance and Administration Daniel Konstalid. “While public institutions are subsidized by the state, private institutions like Gettysburg are subsidized by the generosity of their donors. We are dependent on their annual gifts to inject funds into our operating budget.” These annual gifts are how the vast majority of alumni, parents, and friends donate to Gettysburg-and these gifts are essential for helping the College meet its most pressing needs.

Gettysburg College investments realized a 10-year average weighted return of 4.8 percent through 2016-exceeding the College's portfolio policy benchmark of 4.4 percent and in keeping with the average 4.8 percent returns of endowments of similar size.

An endowment is often misunderstood as a war chest in which every dollar is immediately available for use. In reality, the College’s endowment is far from a bottomless hoard of cash. With an aggregate market value of $314 million, Gettysburg College’s endowment is a collection of more than 700 individual funds given by donors who believe that Gettysburg College and its most cherished offerings should endure forever. The endowment is a long-term investment rooted in who we are and why we matter.

These restricted funds-roughly 69 percent of the total endowment-support specific campus priorities, including endowed scholarships and professorships, the Sunderman Conservatory of Music, and the Majestic Theater.

Narrowing the Endowment Gap

The question remains: how do we build our endowment for the future-bridging the divide between Gettysburg College and its competitors-while continuing to support an exceptional educational experience in the present?

Before 2011, Gettysburg had 334 scholarships with a combined endowment of $44 million. Today, in the final year of the comprehensive campaign, the College has 432 scholarships with a combined endowment of $75 million. The best part is that 517 students were awarded endowed scholarship funds this year, and since these funds are endowed forever, they’ll impact generations of future Gettysburg students.

Alumni Engagement and Support

Generous alumni and benefactors stepped up throughout the year to support the student experience. These contributors included Joseph ’75 and Susan ’77 Biernat, Anne Kuhlman Taylor ’66, Celia J. Kuhlmann ’75, the Ann McIlhenny Harward Interdisciplinary Fund for Music and Culture, and the Guided Pathways conference and convention fund. In addition, 2,301 donors from around the world came together to raise $722,959 during the 11th Annual Gettysburgives Challenge on March 26 and 27. Wrapping up the year, the Bullets Team Challenge raised $738,915 from 2,471 donors.

By leveraging the knowledge and experience of the Gettysburg Network, students are gaining career and life skills from fellow Gettysburgians that will help them navigate life beyond Gettysburg. Additionally, new innovative programs such as the Finance Professional Affinity Network are continuing to strengthen connections within our expansive alumni network.

A Place to Call Home

When you choose Gettysburg College, there are no limits to who YOU will become.

Campus spirit shone brightly throughout 2025-from a lively pre-game tailgate for the first-ever men’s lacrosse night game to an engaging Family Weekend in October. New students embraced their Orange and Blue pride during Get Acquainted Day, Orientation, and the year’s first Orange and Blue Day, complete with Rita’s Italian Ice and free Gettysburg College T-shirts.

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