Wesley R. Fugate Ph.D., President | Wilson College
Wesley R. Fugate Ph.D., President | Wilson College
Of the four institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Wilson College, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto and Franklin County Career and Technology Center.
At least 1,440 people applied to Franklin County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 2,136 students enrolled in the universities, including 1,742 in undergraduate and 394 in graduate programs. Only 4.1% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (78.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Wilson College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 1,360 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson College | 739 | 695 | 1,360 |
| Franklin County Career and Technology Center | 23 | 14 | 56 |
| Triangle Tech-Chambersburg | -- | -- | 50 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | 678 | 617 | 670 |
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