Lycoming College (LC)

Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is one of the 50 oldest private liberal arts and sciences institutions in the nation. Building on that tradition, its cutting-edge programs, experiential learning, and faculty mentors enable students to think deeply and act boldly. The College offers 48 majors and 65 minors, but encourages students to craft customized, cross-disciplinary, and market-driven programs tailored to their unique interests and career goals.

As a solely undergraduate institution of just 1,200 students, Lycoming is able to offer access to advanced equipment, research opportunities, and fieldwork starting freshman year. A student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and small class sizes foster workshops, hands-on labs, and discussion-based learning. Professors know students by name and have even been known to invite students to their homes for dinner.

Unique to Lycoming is the Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences—a gateway for students to acquire experiential learning via internships, research, fellowships, and study abroad opportunities, as well as receive subject-specific career advising and pre-professional/graduate school guidance. One-hundred percent of Lycoming students will participate in at least one enhanced academic experience before graduation, preparing them to go on to pursue careers of significance and lives of meaning.

With 85% of students living on campus, Lycoming is an active, diverse community where students can uncover the best version of themselves. The College has increasingly enrolled a more global and ethnically diverse student body, with students hailing from 29 states and territories and more than 14 countries. Thirty-six percent of students at Lycoming are domestic students of color or international and there are several on-campus organizations supporting and strengthening that cross-cultural exchange. One-third of students participate in the 19 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports teams on campus. Lycoming also has more than 60 student-run clubs and organizations, plentiful opportunities for service, and affinity housing communities. You can even start your own club!

A hallmark of Lycoming's student life is its Outdoor Leadership & Education (OLE) program. Open to any student, OLE designs adventures that develop leadership skills, perseverance, and independence. OLE hosts around 100 events every year, from climbing the campus rock wall and day trips to hike or bike nearby trails to larger scale spring break excursions to the Grand Canyon, Shenandoah National Park, and the Bahamas. Students can even train to become a paid OLE instructor.

Undergrads at Lycoming explain that there's "a club or group for everyone," which helps to match the fact that "our student body is increasingly becoming more diverse and representative of the U.S. population." That is inclusive of "gender expression and identity [as well as] political and religious views." Regardless of their backgrounds, students feel as though they're part of "a tight knit community," the sort of right-size place that "allows everyone to know everybody in some sort of way." This also means that "when help is needed or you want to know any information about something that is going on, you generally can ask anyone on campus." The result is a "positive environment" where people tend to be "very friendly and often say hello or wave when you walk past." Truly, studying here is an "amazing opportunity to meet so many new and interesting people who will become lifelong friends."

Given that "classes are demanding," Lycoming students devote a substantial amount of time to studying. Nevertheless, there's plenty to enjoy beyond the library walls and undergrads "never [have] to have a dull moment here on campus." For this fairly sporty lot, "whether it be recreational basketball, corn-hole, ping pong, foosball, soccer, flag football, volleyball, [or] spike ball, there [are] always some type of games going on through[out] the year." You can also find undergrads "skiing, biking, [or] on ice wall hikes." On campus, clubs range from "chamber and concert choirs," to "SPS Stargazing" and "French club, where we make different kinds of French foods and do activities such as pétanque and Mardi Gras celebrations." As for Greek life, one sorority sister notes that "We are small [but] we are mighty. We make up about two-thirds of all college-organized community service events." Finally, though it may take them far away from campus, the Outdoor Leadership and Education trips are popular among undergraduates. Here, "students can explore the outdoors or go on trips to national parks." These are sometimes coupled with "the alternative spring break trips where students can go work with Habitat for Humanity."

Many colleges now offer career services, but three things set Lycoming College apart: clarity, specificity, and incorporation. Students say that the Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences makes everything “seem less complicated,” and there’s a lot of value in I AM LAUNCHING, a proprietary software that matches students to millions of employers, including “90% of the Fortune 100.” The school also blends career exploration directly into coursework (and the first-year orientation). It’s about “having a breath of experiences and knowledge that can help students develop a wide range of marketable skills and have a greater appreciation for the diversity of our world.” This is where initiatives like the Williamsport Internship Summer Experience (WISE) come into play: “the school housed me, helped me find an internship in the community, and paid me for the experience.” The high job placement rate of 98.6% and a median starting salary of $51,200 (according to PayScale.com) make Lycoming a solid investment.