Lafayette College
Lafayette College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Lafayette College Featured Rankings
- #3 Christian Colleges in Pennsylvania 2026
- #3 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #6 Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2026
- #6 Liberal Arts Colleges in Pennsylvania 2026
- #13 Private Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #15 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #17 Engineering Liberal Arts Colleges
- #28 Best Christian Colleges 2026
About Lafayette College
According to Wikipedia, Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Lafayette, a hero of the American Revolution.
Lafayette College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,874 | 31% | 90% | 85% | 1425 | 32 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Lafayette College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $67,606 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $11,822 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,292 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,456 |
| 75K - 110K | $30,704 |
| 110K+ | $52,178 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Lafayette College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Lafayette College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $102,336 a year, and 97% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Lafayette College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 2,796 | 2,796 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Lafayette College?
Lafayette College is located at High St, Easton, PA 18042-1768.
How Safe is Lafayette College?
Relative to its enrollment, Lafayette College has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property crime rate of 0.50%. Easton has a violent crime rate of 0.20% and a property crime rate of 1.19%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Lafayette College Known For?
Lafayette College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Literature
- Physics
- Economics
- Psychology
- History
- Biology
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Earth Sciences
Lafayette College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Lafayette College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Lafayette College ranks #130 in the U.S. and #593 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesLafayette College ranks #166 in the U.S. and #798 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesLafayette College ranks #184 in the U.S. and #518 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesLafayette College ranks #191 in the U.S. and #801 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesLafayette College ranks #232 in the U.S. and #1149 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesLafayette College ranks #241 in the U.S. and #574 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesLafayette College ranks #244 in the U.S. and #683 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesLafayette College ranks #245 in the U.S. and #932 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesLafayette College ranks #249 in the U.S. and #990 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesLafayette College ranks #286 in the U.S. and #1015 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesLafayette College ranks #287 in the U.S. and #936 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesLafayette College ranks #329 in the U.S. and #1316 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesLafayette College ranks #336 in the U.S. and #1031 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesLafayette College ranks #363 in the U.S. and #1645 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesLafayette College ranks #396 in the U.S. and #1723 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesLafayette College ranks #490 in the U.S. and #1999 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWho Are Lafayette College's Most Influential Alumni?
Lafayette College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Literature, and Chemistry. Here are some of Lafayette College's most famous alumni:
- James McKeen Cattell
- An American psychologist.
- Barry Wellman
- A Canadian sociologist.
- Haldan Keffer Hartline
- An American neuroscientist.
- Joseph Rallo
- A President of Angelo State University.
- Alexander Ramsey
- An American politician .
- Julie Ahringer
- An American geneticist.
- Robert Pastor
- An American writer and academic.
- Joe Maddon
- An American baseball coach and manager.
- Harold H. Bender
- An American philologist.
- Leonard Jeffries
- An African-American academic known for Pan-African views.
- Joel Silver
- An American film producer.
- William F. Durand
- An American naval officer and engineering instructor.
