Private nonprofit · College

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

31.4%
Admit rate
$34,433
Avg net price
88%
Graduation rate
$91,410
Median earnings

Lafayette College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Easton, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,757 undergraduates. It has a Presbyterian Church (USA) religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,757 undergradsLarge suburbVery selective · 31% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Patriot LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Lafayette College's admitted students.

Admit rate
31.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1350–1500
Avg GPA
3.55

Enter a test score to see where you land against Lafayette College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Lafayette College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Easton, Pennsylvania

Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The land that includes present-day Easton was obtained from the Lenape in the Walking Purchase in 1737. A plaque commemorating the transaction appears in Easton's town square. Easton has a long history of involvement with arts and culture, encompassing both the promotion of artistic and cultural events and serving as the home or birthplace of many notable artists. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
To the ocean
48 miles
Nearest airport
13 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)

How Lafayette College compares

Selectivity31.4%

More selective than 93% · #11 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1424

Higher than 91%

Graduation rate88%

Higher than 94% · #8 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention90%

Higher than 85%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$91,410

Higher than 95% · #7 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$34,433

Cheaper than 9% · #102 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$16,000

Lower than 88%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment2,757

Larger than 67%

Percentiles compare Lafayette College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,757undergrads
  • Women1,59758%
  • Men1,16042%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White67%
  • Black5.9%
  • Hispanic9.9%
  • Asian3.5%
  • Other or multiracial14%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,757
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
12%
First-generation students
15%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$111,341
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$113,967
Endowment
$1,140,250,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 697 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania13%
  • Other U.S. states79%
  • International7.5%

A national draw — only 14% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 79% arrive from other states.

8% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
31.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1350–1500
SAT average
1424
SAT reading
670–740
SAT math
680–760
ACT composite
31–33
Average GPA
3.55

Cost

In-state tuition
$65,398
Room & board
$19,866
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$83,133
Average net price
$34,433

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
88%
Graduated on time (4 years)
80%
First-year retention
90%
Transferred to another college
10%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$80,614
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$91,410
Median debt at graduation
$16,000
Students with federal loans
20%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
88%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
80%
Low-income (Pell)
85%
First-generation
86%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,506
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
91%
Housing charge (year)
$11,754
Meal plan (year)
$7,330
Application fee
$65
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Patriot League
Varsity athletes
731 (389 men · 342 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)214
Football104
Lacrosse95
Swimming and Diving (combined)75
Soccer60
Baseball40
Basketball27
Field Hockey26
Fencing20
Tennis20
Volleyball20
Softball18
Golf12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
18
Property offenses (2022–2024)
22

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,775 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

13reported offenses a year
6.0 violent a year7.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.7
Burglary
3.7
Motor vehicle theft
3.7
Fondling
2.0
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,716
$30–48k
$7,445
$48–75k
$10,881
$75–110k
$12,581
$110k+
$52,608

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$44,897

$10,881/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

52%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$42,616
average award, among those who get one

Lafayette College discounts heavily: 52% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $42,616. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 757 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$91,410
Typical debt at graduation
$16,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
18%
Out-earn a HS grad
86%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$87,331
Men
$94,644

Men out-earn women by $7,313 (8%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
51″
Annual snow
41.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Phillipsburg-Easton Brg, NJ US station (0.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Lafayette College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lafayette College side by side →

Colleges near Lafayette College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.