The town on the Târnava Mare river has a rich school tradition, the first educational institution being documented in 1522. The 19th century brings an evolution of the school in Sighișoara, both through reforms in the educational field, marked by the introduction of modern pedagogical precepts, and through the diversification of school institutions from the point of view of the nationalities that lived in the city as well as of the specialization of schools. From the fourth decade of the 19th century, students of Romanian nationality began to be enrolled at the prestigious Evangelic Gymnasium in Sighișoara, and the increase in their number became exponential starting from the sixth decade of the 19th century. We link this increase on the one hand to the significant evolution of the number of Romanians and Hungarians living in the city, and on the other hand to their economic ascendancy during this period. Among the enrolled students are the sons of priests and peasants from Sighișoara and the surrounding area, attracted by the reputation of this high-quality educational institution of the Transylvanian Saxons, whose most prestigious graduates could subsequently continue their studies at universities in the empire or the German-speaking area, thus contributing to the formation of a secular intellectual elite that grew stronger and became more involved in the life of the community.