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.

Lycoming College encourages students to incorporate real-world experiences into their liberal arts education. It does so by offering many experiential learning opportunities and outside-the-classroom activities, which help students “better understand and apply class material” and “make and build community relationships.” For an art history class, this meant that “after learning about Ancient Japanese ceramics, we were able to go to the ceramic studio and make pots and bowls with terra cotta to understand the different tools and difficulty of the craft.” Other real-world opportunities mentioned include criminal justice students touring the local corrections facility and visiting the courthouse, aspiring teachers assisting in nearby schools, and archeology students visiting museums. Students also appreciate the “colloquiums that bring guest speakers in, study abroad opportunities, research opportunities, and internships” that enhance their coursework. Of the many things students appreciate about the school, the faculty gets top marks. “They make an effort to get to know students outside the classroom and ensure that students are able to keep up with the material.” As one undergrad shares, “The greatest thing about Lycoming is that if you start to slip, like failing your classes, then they help you…so that you don’t slip through the cracks. Adds another undergraduate, “The close relationship between the faculty and the students is what makes Lycoming College stand out.” ""Lycoming College encourages students to incorporate real-world experiences into their liberal arts education. It does so by offering many experiential learning opportunities and outside-the-classroom activities, which help students “better understand and apply class material” and “make and build community relationships.” For an art history class, this meant that “after learning about Ancient Japanese ceramics, we were able to go to the ceramic studio and make pots and bowls with terra cotta to understand the different tools and difficulty of the craft.” Other real-world opportunities mentioned include criminal justice students touring the local corrections facility and visiting the courthouse, aspiring teachers assisting in nearby schools, and archeology students visiting museums. Students also appreciate the “colloquiums that bring guest speakers in, study abroad opportunities, research opportunities, and internships” that enhance their coursework. Of the many things students appreciate about the school, the faculty gets top marks. “They make an effort to get to know students outside the classroom and ensure that students are able to keep up with the material.” As one undergrad shares, “The greatest thing about Lycoming is that if you start to slip, like failing your classes, then they help you…so that you don’t slip through the cracks. Adds another undergraduate, “The close relationship between the faculty and the students is what makes Lycoming College stand out.”

Lycoming College encourages students to incorporate real-world experiences into their liberal arts education. It does so by offering many experiential learning opportunities and outside-the-classroom activities, which help students “better understand and apply class material” and “make and build community relationships.” For an art history class, this meant that “after learning about Ancient Japanese ceramics, we were able to go to the ceramic studio and make pots and bowls with terra cotta to understand the different tools and difficulty of the craft.” Other real-world opportunities mentioned include criminal justice students touring the local corrections facility and visiting the courthouse, aspiring teachers assisting in nearby schools, and archeology students visiting museums. Students also appreciate the “colloquiums that bring guest speakers in, study abroad opportunities, research opportunities, and internships” that enhance their coursework. Of the many things students appreciate about the school, the faculty gets top marks. “They make an effort to get to know students outside the classroom and ensure that students are able to keep up with the material.” As one undergrad shares, “The greatest thing about Lycoming is that if you start to slip, like failing your classes, then they help you…so that you don’t slip through the cracks. Adds another undergraduate, “The close relationship between the faculty and the students is what makes Lycoming College stand out.”

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.