Lafayette College, in Easton, Pennsylvania, is one of those colleges where the sticker price is frightening and the fine print tells a different story. Let’s read all of it, piece by piece, so that when the time comes to decide, you already know what questions to ask and what numbers to request in writing.
What kind of school it is, in a nutshell
Lafayette College is a private, nonprofit, four-year college focused on the arts and sciences. The Carnegie classification—the system that categorizes US colleges and universities according to what they do—describes it as a small, highly residential school: at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. It also places Lafayette in its most selective admissions group.
That still does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in—we will look at that number later—or whether your child should move there. Living on campus, moreover, is not the same as paying tuition: room and board are charged separately.
The institution awards bachelor’s degrees as its highest reported level. That is an institutional fact, not a guarantee that the exact major your child is interested in is offered there or leads to that credential. That must be confirmed program by program.
Geographically, Lafayette is in Northampton County, within the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area, but its census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, outside the principal city. If your child is thinking about living at home, do not rely on what the map says. Drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google promises.
One point worth making clear from the start: Lafayette College is not registered as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three different designations with different histories, and among the 3,012 colleges and universities in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Lafayette’s absence from that group does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today.
The size of the community and who makes it up
Lafayette had 2,764 students enrolled in the official fall count, all of them undergraduates—there was no graduate enrollment in that count. It is midsized: among the 941 comparable selective private schools in this census, it falls in the middle of the group, neither among the largest nor among the smallest. Almost all students attend full time.
Being midsized does not tell you whether your child will receive more or less attention in a specific major. That must be asked about by program, not for the school as a whole.
As for who makes up that community: 9 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with the 941 selective private schools in this census that report the data, Lafayette ranks below the group’s midpoint. The undergraduate population is nearly evenly divided between men and women—49 out of every 100 are women. And one thing stands out: fewer than 25 out of every 100 first-time students were permanent residents of Pennsylvania; the rest came from other states or other countries, or their residence was not reported. It is a predominantly out-of-state community.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, nor would having many make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, the right response is not to avoid the school: it is to arrive at the visit with a specific list—what student groups exist, what support is available, and whether your child can speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding.
Academics: calendar, credits, and how degrees are distributed
Lafayette’s academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The institution accepts credit for AP exams but did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Pay attention here, because this is one of those things that seems simple but is not: saying that Lafayette accepts AP credit does not tell you how many points it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In a recent year, Lafayette awarded 635 bachelor’s degrees across 15 fields of study. Social sciences produced the most graduates, accounting for 29 out of every 100 degrees—no other field comes close to that share, but it does not account for most degrees either. Among the 942 comparable schools in this census, Lafayette ranks in the quarter that awards the most degrees each year. This counts degrees awarded, not quality or what happens after graduation. The useful question remains the same: for the exact major your child is interested in, how many students graduated, how long did it take them, and what is the curriculum like?
The ratio of students to instructional staff, both measured as full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1. That is a low ratio compared with similar schools. But be careful: this number does not show the actual size of first-year classes or guarantee more personal attention. It is an institutional average, not a classroom promise.
Lafayette also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research. These paths exist within the institution; how accessible they are for your child’s major must be confirmed directly.
Admission: it is not just about gathering documents
This is where many families get nervous, and precisely where it helps to approach the process with a clear head.
Lafayette does not have open admission. Of the nine considerations reviewed in this process, five are required: the high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and—for those to whom it applies—the English proficiency exam. Put simply: your child has to write. The essay is not optional.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, completion of the college-preparatory program the college recommends, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended Lafayette. On that last point: if it does not apply to you, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within your child’s control. The published application fee is $65.
Now, the numbers that are almost always the first ones a family wants to know:
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| First-time applicants (2023) | 9,874 |
| Offers of admission | 3,107 (31 out of every 100) |
| No offer of admission | 6,767 |
| Of those admitted, enrolled | 22 out of every 100 |
Lafayette accepts 31 out of every 100 applicants. Compared with 942 selective private schools in this census, it is among those that accept the smallest share: nine out of ten schools in that group accepted a larger proportion. It truly is selective. But that 31 does not distinguish applicants who were rejected from those who were waitlisted or withdrew their applications. And it is the number for the entire school—not for your child’s specific major—so if your child is pursuing a particular program, request that information directly from admissions.
Next comes something that surprises many families: out of every 5 admitted students, only one enrolls. Do not read that as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person made the decision they made. What matters is this: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and what others did does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
As for tests, Lafayette does not require the SAT or ACT. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—31 out of every 100 in that cohort, a high proportion compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 670 and 730 in reading and writing and between 670 and 760 in math. Those scores are from students who were already admitted, not from all applicants. The 670 is not a minimum, and the 730 does not guarantee anything.
As for transfers, the transfer-out rate is low. Of the cohort that entered in 2017, only 9 out of every 100 were reported as having transferred to another school within 150% of the normal time—on the low end compared with similar schools. Transfer enrollment is also minimal: only 19 students entered that way in the fall of 2023. If your child were to transfer to Lafayette, this figure does not indicate how many credits Lafayette would accept. Request that information in writing, with the course list in hand, before your child moves.
The sticker price: high, but it is not the bill
Now comes perhaps the most consequential number in this entire conversation.
For the 2023-24 year, the reported cost of attendance for a first-time, full-time undergraduate student living on campus was $83,364. That figure is the same whether the student is from Pennsylvania or out of state. It breaks down as follows:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $62,574 |
| On-campus housing and food | $18,640 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Other estimated expenses | (remainder up to the total) |
Compared with 888 similar schools, this cost of attendance is among the highest in the group.
And here is the important part: this number is the sticker price, before aid. It is not the family’s bill. Complete the FAFSA and request the financial aid letter in writing. Until you have it in hand, you do not know how much Lafayette costs for your family specifically.
The net price: this is where the number truly changes
At Lafayette College, among 45 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,903. Among 30 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,291; among 126 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $49,830. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $37,927 between the average for the lowest-income band (45 students) and the average for the highest-income band (126 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $34,728.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Lafayette falls in the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a factor that carries weight when you make the list of schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; public institutions use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent to you is what matters.
How it is paid: grants, loans, and options
Aid that does not have to be repaid—grants and scholarships—reached 58 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with similar schools, Lafayette falls in the quarter where grants and scholarships reach a smaller proportion of students. Among those who did receive them, the average for the year was $43,853. Pell Grants, the federal aid for low-income families, reached 10 out of every 100 students.
That $43,853 is real money, but it is not a price: it is an average among those who received aid and does not predict your offer. What matters is the amount left after aid—and you must request that school by school.
As for federal loans, only 21 out of every 100 Lafayette undergraduate students received one during the 2022-23 school year. Most were not awarded a federal loan that year. Among those who did receive one, the average amount was $5,041—relatively low compared with similar schools, nine out of ten of which had a larger proportion of students with loans.
The fact that a student is reported as having a loan does not tell you whether it covered the entire year. And that average covers only federal loans in the student’s name for one year: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt owed to banks, credit cards, or total debt accumulated by graduation. To determine that, you would have to add up every year, and that information is not included here.
Lafayette also reports formal options for managing payment: a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan. It is worth asking about both before assuming that paying everything at once is the only option.
Campus life, sports, and support
Lafayette has institution-controlled housing with a reported capacity of 2,506 students, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—this does not mean that no individual program has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available; request the annual rate, the housing application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or you could be placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
ROTC is available, with the Army branch confirmed in writing; Navy and Air Force are not marked in the report. That does not mean they are impossible options; it means you must ask directly.
Lafayette competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not your child: if your child is interested in a sport, contact the coach directly and ask in writing about roster availability, division, and athletic scholarships.
As for distance education, Lafayette offers it at the undergraduate level, but in the fall count, no student was taking an entire course load through distance education. According to the reported information, there is no complete program that can be completed entirely through distance education. If that matters to your family, confirm it directly for the specific major.
The library operates with paid staff, annual expenditures exceeding the government’s reporting threshold of $100,000, a physical and digital collection, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not indicate whether databases specific to your child’s major are available—ask using the program’s name.
Finally, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, and a published address for services for people with disabilities.
Who stays and who graduates
Here Lafayette shows a strong, consistent pattern.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 92 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. This is one of the highest retention rates compared with similar schools. But that figure combines two distinct groups—those still enrolled and those who had already graduated—and does not explain what happened to the rest.
Of those who entered in 2017, 88 out of every 100 graduated within six years—597 out of 678 students. Within four years, the figure falls to 80 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, Lafayette is among those that graduate the largest share of students.
And on the eight-year measure, which includes students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016: 89 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Lafayette as of the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 87 out of every 100—a difference of only 2 points. Here too, Lafayette is among the schools with the highest graduation rates in its comparison group.
These are high, consistent figures, and they say something real about what happened to those specific cohorts at that school. What they do not say is what will happen to your child. What is within your control is ensuring that your child starts with all credits in order and knows, from the first semester, who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the major.
What this article cannot tell you
There is no information here about what happens after Lafayette: salaries, employment, or how much debt someone carries at graduation. That requires another source, and it is not authorized for this article.
Putting the pieces together
You now have an in-depth understanding of one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Lafayette College is, what it requires for admission, how much it costs on paper and how much it has actually cost families in different income bands, and what happened to the cohorts that have already attended.
The other two pieces are not found in any federal report. One is what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far, and how far away your child is willing to live. The other is what your family can and is willing to pay, something you will know with certainty only when the financial aid letter arrives with the final amount.
Put all three together, and a plan emerges. Lafayette does not make that plan for you, and your child does not make it alone. You make it together, with this information already in hand.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) data from the US Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Lafayette College or any government entity; this article does not constitute personalized admission advice.