Lafayette College
#30 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie)
Overview
Lafayette College is a private institution that was founded in 1826. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,729 (fall 2022), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 340 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Lafayette College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #30. Its tuition and fees are $61,824.
Nestled in the College Hill neighborhood of Easton, Pa., is Lafayette College, a liberal arts institution. Easton is a small city about 60 miles from Philadelphia and 70 from New York City. One perk of living in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley: in warm months, students can load up on fresh produce each Saturday at the Easton Farmer’s Market, billed as the nation’s oldest continuous open-air market. In the winter, students can go skiing and snowboarding in the nearby Pocono Mountains. The campus has its own indoor rock-climbing wall and on-campus night club called The Spot for year-round fun. There are around 200 student organizations, including a popular Greek system of close to a dozen fraternities and sororities. Each fraternity and sorority has a house on campus for member students. Freshmen must live on campus at the residential college, and so must sophomores, juniors and most seniors. About 70 seniors who apply to move off campus will be approved each year. The Lafayette Leopards compete in the NCAA Division I Patriot League, and the football team has a notorious rival with Lehigh University’s squad. Students kick off the year with the President’s Ball, a formal dance, and end the year with All-College Day, a campus-wide celebration with music and food. Students can grab a bite after, too, when faculty members serve them Midnight Breakfast.
The college newspaper, The Lafayette, is the oldest student-run publication in the state. Lafayette students can study abroad for a semester, a year or even just a month - in January or May. The school’s interim programs, as the monthlong sessions are called, have taken students to destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Bali and Egypt over school breaks. In addition, faculty members lead specialty study abroad trips in London and Costa Rica. Lafayette’s distinguished graduates include Ian Murray, founder of the Vineyard Vines clothing line; and Charles Bergstresser, a founder of Dow Jones & Company.
Lafayette College is a private institution that was founded in 1826. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,729 (fall 2022), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 340 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Lafayette College's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #30. Its tuition and fees are $61,824.
Nestled in the College Hill neighborhood of Easton, Pa., is Lafayette College, a liberal arts institution. Easton is a small city about 60 miles from Philadelphia and 70 from New York City. One perk of living in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley: in warm months, students can load up on fresh produce each Saturday at the Easton Farmer’s Market, billed as the nation’s oldest continuous open-air market. In the winter, students can go skiing and snowboarding in the nearby Pocono Mountains. The campus has its own indoor rock-climbing wall and on-campus night club called The Spot for year-round fun. There are around 200 student organizations, including a popular Greek system of close to a dozen fraternities and sororities. Each fraternity and sorority has a house on campus for member students. Freshmen must live on campus at the residential college, and so must sophomores, juniors and most seniors. About 70 seniors who apply to move off campus will be approved each year. The Lafayette Leopards compete in the NCAA Division I Patriot League, and the football team has a notorious rival with Lehigh University’s squad. Students kick off the year with the President’s Ball, a formal dance, and end the year with All-College Day, a campus-wide celebration with music and food. Students can grab a bite after, too, when faculty members serve them Midnight Breakfast.
The college newspaper, The Lafayette, is the oldest student-run publication in the state. Lafayette students can study abroad for a semester, a year or even just a month - in January or May. The school’s interim programs, as the monthlong sessions are called, have taken students to destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Bali and Egypt over school breaks. In addition, faculty members lead specialty study abroad trips in London and Costa Rica. Lafayette’s distinguished graduates include Ian Murray, founder of the Vineyard Vines clothing line; and Charles Bergstresser, a founder of Dow Jones & Company.
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At-a-Glance
Setting
Suburban
Tuition & Fees
$61,824
Undergraduate Enrollment
2,729
Acceptance Rate
34%
From the School
We’re an undergraduate-only institution located in Easton, Pa., where a liberal arts education meshes seamlessly with our nationally recognized engineering program.
● Location, location, location: Easton is a small city with big charm. From food festivals and free live music events to bike races and dozens of foodie destinations, there's always something happening in this Lehigh Valley city. Plus, we’re just 90 minutes away from New York City and Philadelphia, providing you with additional opportunities for internships, recreation, and more.
● Educational opportunities: With a 10:1 faculty-to-student ratio, students engage in cutting-edge research and hands-on learning experiences that are often not possible at other institutions until graduate school. With 50+ majors, including interdisciplinary options, you’ll discover your passions at Lafayette.
● Division 1 athletics: We offer 23 athletic programs, and 20% of our undergraduates are student-athletes. Our community cheers for them, decked in leopard print, maroon, and white school spirit.
● The power of and: We are liberal arts and engineering. Athletics and research. Academics and community engagement. Art and entrepreneurship. You don’t need to choose between your passions: You can do them all, and you can do them with the confidence that you have a team of professors, mentors, and classmates rooting for you.
● Career preparation: Our four-year Gateway Program prepares students for life after Lafayette. We facilitate shadow opportunities with hundreds of alumni, help students start building their network, and more. Within six months of graduation, 98% of student respondents from the Class of 2022 graduates were employed, continuing their education, in internships or completing volunteer work.
● Residential: Not only is housing guaranteed for all four years, but 93% of students live on campus. Your community is never more than a short walk away.
Will you find your people here? We know you will. Lafayette is the kind of place you can call home.
We’re an undergraduate-only institution located in Easton, Pa., where a liberal arts education meshes seamlessly with our nationally recognized engineering program.
● Location, location, location: Easton is a small city with big charm. From food festivals and free live music events to bike races and dozens of foodie destinations, there's always something happening in this Lehigh Valley city. Plus, we’re just 90 minutes away from New York City and Philadelphia, providing you with additional opportunities for internships, recreation, and more.
● Educational opportunities: With a 10:1 faculty-to-student ratio, students engage in cutting-edge research and hands-on learning experiences that are often not possible at other institutions until graduate school. With 50+ majors, including interdisciplinary options, you’ll discover your passions at Lafayette.
● Division 1 athletics: We offer 23 athletic programs, and 20% of our undergraduates are student-athletes. Our community cheers for them, decked in leopard print, maroon, and white school spirit.
● The power of and: We are liberal arts and engineering. Athletics and research. Academics and community engagement. Art and entrepreneurship. You don’t need to choose between your passions: You can do them all, and you can do them with the confidence that you have a team of professors, mentors, and classmates rooting for you.
● Career preparation: Our four-year Gateway Program prepares students for life after Lafayette. We facilitate shadow opportunities with hundreds of alumni, help students start building their network, and more. Within six months of graduation, 98% of student respondents from the Class of 2022 graduates were employed, continuing their education, in internships or completing volunteer work.
● Residential: Not only is housing guaranteed for all four years, but 93% of students live on campus. Your community is never more than a short walk away.
Will you find your people here? We know you will. Lafayette is the kind of place you can call home.
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Sponsored Content
2024 Rankings
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Admissions
Cost
Tuition & Fees
$61,824
Room & Board
$19,084(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$53,455
$41,937
$41,937
Tuition & Fees
$61,824
Room & Board
$19,084(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$53,455
*Average cost after aid
Academics
86%
10:1
62%
Popular Majors
MAJOR
% OF GRADUATES
ALUMNI STARTING SALARY
Social Sciences
34%
N/A
Engineering
20%
N/A
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
12%
N/A
Psychology
8%
N/A
Visual and Performing Arts
6%
N/A
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* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
Engineering at Lafayette
Sponsored
We not only offer an outstanding technical education—we provide a liberal arts foundation that teaches our students to communicate effectively, influence change, and stand out in their fields. Within the recently renovated Acopian Engineering Center, our nationally recognized engineering program offers five Bachelor of Science engineering degrees—chemical, civil, electrical and computer, integrative, and mechanical—plus a Bachelor of Arts in engineering studies and a dual degree in engineering and international studies.
Pick the Perfect Major
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Students
2,729
Graduate Enrollment
N/A
Total Enrollment
2,729
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
2,712
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
21%
Minority Enrollment
21%
Minority Enrollment
68%
White
8%
Hispanic
8%
International
5%
Black
4%
Asian
4%
Two or more races
2%
Unknown
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
94+
Sports Teams
4
Fraternities
6
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
86%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
39%
Average Debt at Graduation
$28,840
$56,094
$56,094
Graduation Rate
86%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
39%
Average Debt at Graduation
$28,840
Reviews & Ratings
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Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
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