Lafayette College vs. Penn State

Should I go to Lafayette College or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lafayette College or Penn State 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. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Lafayette College Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Lafayette College Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Lafayette College Penn State
Location Easton, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,729 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #65 #167
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lafayette.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Lafayette College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $58,110 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $58,110 $35,946
Room & Board $17,336 $12,744
Avg Net Price $37,186 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $24,981 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 44%

Admission

 Lafayette College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,500 85,784
Admitted 3,531 47,360
Acceptance Rate 33.6% 55.2%
Enrolled % 21.4% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 30/33 26/31
SAT Range 1330/1480 1210/1390
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

Academics

 Lafayette College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Lafayette College Penn State
Graduation Rate 88% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $81,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Lafayette College Penn State
% Men 50% 53%
% Women 50% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 69%
% Black 5% 4%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

 Lafayette College Penn State
% In-State 16% 51%
% Out-of-State 76% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Lafayette College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 2,729 students)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lafayette College or Penn State?

  • Lafayette College is 216.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($58,110.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.7% higher at Lafayette College than Penn State Main Campus ($58,110.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Lafayette College ($26,747 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 36% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($12,744 vs. $17,336)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than Penn State Main Campus (98% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 148.2% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($24,981 vs. $10,066)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 92 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Lafayette College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Lafayette College (33.6%)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lafayette College or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Lafayette College.

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than Penn State Main Campus (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $25,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $55,300)
  • Lafayette College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Lafayette College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 69%)

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