Lafayette College vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Lafayette College or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lafayette College or Penn State Beaver 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Lehigh Bucknell Villanova Fordham Union College Skidmore College Colgate University of Richmond Trinity College Denison BU Muhlenberg College
Lafayette College vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Lafayette College Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Lafayette College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Lafayette College Penn State Beaver
Location Easton, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,729 522
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #65
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lafayette.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lafayette College Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $58,110 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $58,110 $23,086
Room & Board $17,336 $12,254
Avg Net Price $37,186 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $24,981 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 87%

Admission

Lafayette College Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,500 1,707
Admitted 3,531 1,591
Acceptance Rate 33.6% 93.2%
Enrolled % 21.4% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 20/28
SAT Range 1330/1480 1050/1260
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 Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

Lafayette College Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 88% 47%
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 Beaver
% Men 50% 55%
% Women 50% 45%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 75%
% Black 5% 9%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 9% 3%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

Lafayette College Penn State Beaver
% In-State 16% 63%
% Out-of-State 76% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lafayette College is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (2,729 students vs. 522 students)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

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

  • Lafayette College is 320.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($58,110.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 151.7% higher at Lafayette College than Penn State Beaver ($58,110.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Lafayette College ($18,113 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 41.5% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($12,254 vs. $17,336)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than Penn State Beaver (98% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 169.4% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($24,981 vs. $9,274)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 295 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming Lafayette College students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than Lafayette College (33.6%)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than Penn State Beaver (88% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $25,700 more per year than Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Lafayette College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver 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/