TCNJ vs. Lafayette College

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or Lafayette College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ or Lafayette College 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 Rutgers Villanova NJIT Rowan University Fordham UD Union College Skidmore College Colgate University of Richmond
The College of New Jersey vs. Lafayette College comparison
The College of New Jersey Lafayette College College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey Lafayette College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

TCNJ Lafayette College
Location Ewing, NJ Easton, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,629 2,729
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #175 #65
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu lafayette.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

TCNJ Lafayette College
Tuition (In State) $14,140 $58,110
Tuition (Out of State) $26,934 $58,110
Room & Board $14,144 $17,336
Avg Net Price $22,273 $37,186
Avg Grant Aid $11,826 $24,981
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 98%

Admission

TCNJ Lafayette College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,302 10,500
Admitted 6,638 3,531
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 33.6%
Enrolled % 23.8% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.53
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 24/30 30/33
SAT Range 1140/1350 1330/1480
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 Feb 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

TCNJ Lafayette College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

TCNJ Lafayette College
Graduation Rate 87% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $81,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $240 $268

Diversity

TCNJ Lafayette College
% Men 42% 50%
% Women 58% 50%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 67%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 12% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 9%
% Unknown Race 5% 7%

Students

TCNJ Lafayette College
% In-State 95% 16%
% Out-of-State 5% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than Lafayette College based on total student enrollment (7,629 students vs. 2,729 students)

TCNJ vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or Lafayette College?

  • Lafayette College is 311% more expensive to attend than TCNJ for in-state tuition ($58,110.00 vs. $14,140.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 115.7% higher at Lafayette College than The College of New Jersey ($58,110.00 vs. $26,934.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The College of New Jersey than Lafayette College ($22,273 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The College of New Jersey are 22.6% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($14,144 vs. $17,336)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than The College of New Jersey (98% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 111.2% larger than aid received The College of New Jersey ($24,981 vs. $11,826)

TCNJ vs. Lafayette College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lafayette College (1294) is 67 points higher than at TCNJ (1227)
  • Incoming Lafayette College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at TCNJ (28)
  • Accepted freshman Lafayette College students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • TCNJ has a higher acceptance rate (64.4%) than Lafayette College (33.6%)

TCNJ vs. Lafayette College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ or Lafayette College? 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 Lafayette College and TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than The College of New Jersey (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $18,900 more per year than TCNJ graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $62,100)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,000)
  • TCNJ graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($240 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TCNJ students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 85%)

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