Lafayette College vs. Lehigh

Should I go to Lafayette College or Lehigh University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lafayette College or Lehigh is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Lafayette College vs. Lehigh University comparison
Lafayette College Lehigh University College 3 College 4
Lafayette College Lehigh University
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Overview

Lafayette College Lehigh
Location Easton, PA Bethlehem, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,729 7,394
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #65 #54
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lafayette.edu lehigh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lafayette College Lehigh
Tuition (In State) $58,110 $58,970
Tuition (Out of State) $58,110 $58,970
Room & Board $17,336 $15,890
Avg Net Price $37,186 $30,453
Avg Grant Aid $24,981 $44,116
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 55%

Admission

Lafayette College Lehigh
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,500 15,163
Admitted 3,531 5,607
Acceptance Rate 33.6% 37%
Enrolled % 21.4% 26.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 30/33 30/33
SAT Range 1330/1480 1340/1490
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Lafayette College Lehigh
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

Lafayette College Lehigh
Graduation Rate 88% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $81,000 $89,200
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,256
Median Loan Payment $268 $250

Diversity

Lafayette College Lehigh
% Men 50% 54%
% Women 50% 46%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 66%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 9% 8%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

Lafayette College Lehigh
% In-State 16% 21%
% Out-of-State 76% 71%

Campus

Lafayette College Lehigh
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Lafayette College based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 2,729 students)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lafayette College or Lehigh?

  • Lehigh University is 1.5% more expensive to attend than Lafayette College for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.5% higher at Lehigh than Lafayette College ($58,970.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lehigh University than Lafayette College ($30,453 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 9.1% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($15,890 vs. $17,336)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than Lehigh University (98% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 76.6% larger than aid received Lafayette College ($44,116 vs. $24,981)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lafayette College or Lehigh? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Lehigh or Lafayette College .

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 44 points higher than at Lafayette College (1294)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Lafayette College (29)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Lafayette College (3.53)
  • Lehigh has a higher acceptance rate (37%) than Lafayette College (33.6%)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lafayette College or Lehigh? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Lehigh and Lafayette College.

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than Lehigh University (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $8,200 more per year than Lafayette College graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $81,000)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $1,744 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,000)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($250 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lehigh students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/