Education
Franklin County provides a broad spectrum of educational opportunities ranging from pre-school through post-secondary.
The County is served by six public school districts, the Franklin County Career & Technology Center, three colleges/universities, including Wilson College, Penn State Mont Alto campus, and Shippensburg University. Franklin County is also home to the prestigious Mercersburg Academy as well as other private institutions.
Franklin County is within a two hour drive of Penn State University (University Park), one hour drive of the HACC main campus, and one-half hour drive from Gettysburg College and Dickinson College. In addition, the Hagerstown, MD Community College (HCC), Kaplan College of Hagerstown, MD, Mount St. Mary’s University, and The University System of Maryland at Hagerstown are within a 15 minute drive of Franklin County.
Penn State Mont Alto
Penn State Mont Alto campus is located in Mont Alto, PA. The campus serves more than 600 students in a variety of 2-year and 4-year programs. Degrees include Forestry Management, Early Childhood Development, Nursing, and Supply Chain Management.
Penn State Mont Alto
Shippensburg University
Shippensburg University is part of the PA State System of Higher Education. The campus serves more than 5,100 students and offers Bachelors and Graduate degrees in a wide array of subject matter. The University now offers full degree programs in Software, Computer, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering. Shippensburg University ranks in the Top 40 public universities (North) by US News and World Report for 2025.
Shippensburg UniversityWilson College
Wilson College is located in the heart of Chambersburg. The College empowers students to be confident, critical thinkers, and offers degrees through its rigorous liberal arts curriculum. We offer a range of majors—from humanities and social sciences, which open an array of professional opportunities, to career-oriented programs. No matter what you study, you’ll gain the strong writing, speaking and critical-thinking skills that boost any career path.
Wilson College
Cooperative Education
All six school districts serving Franklin County, along with the Franklin County Career and Technology Center (CareerTech), offer comprehensive cooperative (co-op) education programs.