About Milton Hershey School
About MHS History
Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-K through 12th grade live on campus and receive an exceptional educational experience—with all costs covered. Milton and Catherine Hershey founded the school in 1909 with money they earned from the chocolate company. Since then, the lives of more than 12,000 children from qualifying families have been transformed through high-quality education and structured home life.
The Gift that Changed Lives
In 1918, chocolatier Milton S. Hershey gave his fortune to the home and school he and his wife built nearly a decade prior. It wasn’t until the news of Mr. Hershey’s unique act of service splashed across the front page of The New York Times five years later in 1923 that the world found out.
Making History
Take a look back at more than 100 years of MHS history and tradition. It started as a school for orphans focused on agricultural and vocational training. Now, it serves as a home-away-from-home for more than 2,000 students each year.
Fast Facts
Get to know Milton Hershey School in three minutes or fewer with our Fast Facts school summary.
Office of the President
President Pete G. Gurt ’85 designed an ambitious strategic plan to lead MHS into the future with Our Future in Focus.
State of the School
Get a full picture of the current state of the school from our interactive Brown and Gold annual report. Then, hear from MHS thought leaders about topics such as education, whole child care, college and career readiness, diversity and inclusion, safety, and more.
Virtual Campus Tour
Navigate through our modern campus, getting a closer look at our top-tier facilities, inside classrooms and student homes, and about all that MHS has to offer. You can begin by clicking on the icon below.
More MHS Resources
With a history as long and as incredible as ours, there is a lot more to learn about MHS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review some of the most common questions about the school and programs.
Campus Landmarks
Our historic campus is home to several iconic buildings. Visitors can tour Founders Hall.
Inspired by Milton Hershey School
Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning is a subsidiary of Milton Hershey School. CHS provides a cost-free educational, social, and cognitive day program to children of lower income from birth to age 5. Its Early Childhood Resource Centers are located in Pennsylvania.
CHS was inspired by MHS and is operated independently of the MHS core model.
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