About

Students say Lafayette is a special place because of the breadth of the curriculum, encompassing the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences, and engineering. It gives Lafayette a “university feel” in an environment dedicated to the undergraduate. Professors work with students from vastly different disciplines on a regular basis to solve real problems. This is the hallmark of a Lafayette liberal arts education.

Founded: In 1826 by citizens of Easton, Pennsylvania, and named for the Marquis de Lafayette in honor of his “talents, virtues, and services in the great cause of freedom.”

Character: Most academically competitive, independent, undergraduate, coeducational, and residential.

Degrees: Bachelor of Arts in 37 fields; Bachelor of Science in 10 fields of science and 4 fields of engineering.

Enrollment: Approximately 2,400 students; 53 percent men, 47 percent women. Students come from 42 U.S. states and territories and 37 countries.

Faculty: 215 full-time faculty members, 99 percent holding a doctorate or other terminal degree; 10.5 to 1 student-faculty ratio.

Campus: 69 buildings, comprising approximately 1.76 million square feet, on 340 total acres, including a 230-acre athletic campus.

Endowment: Total endowment of nearly $700 million. As an exclusively undergraduate institution, Lafayette focuses all of its resources on undergraduates.

Location: Easton, Pennsylvania, population 30,000, in Lehigh Valley of 800,000; about 70 miles west of New York City and 60 miles north of Philadelphia; the Pocono Mountains are about 35 miles north.

“Is College Worth the Cost?”

At Lafayette, the answer is a resounding yes. Payscale.com reports that Lafayette is third among all liberal arts schools in average starting salary (excluding military academies) and sixth in 30-year return on investment.