Lafayette College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Easton, PA Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,764 954
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #66
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lafayette.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $61,482 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $61,482 $24,562
Room & Board $18,640 $13,448
Avg Net Price $34,728 $19,070
Avg Grant Aid $44,126 $8,108
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 71%

Admission

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,874 1,848
Admitted 3,107 1,741
Acceptance Rate 31.5% 94.2%
Enrolled % 22.4% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 20/28
SAT Range 1340/1490 1140/1315
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, 2026

Academics

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 0% 1%
% Women 0% 4%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 64%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 9% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

Lafayette College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 13% 93%
% Out-of-State 79% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lafayette College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,764 students vs. 954 students)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Lafayette College is 320.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($61,482.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 150.3% higher at Lafayette College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($61,482.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Lafayette College ($19,070 vs. $34,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 38.6% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($13,448 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Lafayette College (71% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 444.2% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($44,126 vs. $8,108)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 275 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Lafayette College students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman Lafayette College students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than Lafayette College (31.5%)

Lafayette College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

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