Lafayette College vs Wheaton College

Lafayette College and Wheaton College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Lafayette, situated in Easton, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (34%) compared to Wheaton's selective admissions (29%). While Lafayette's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 12% of the population, Wheaton's student body is predominantly female (60%). Both colleges excel in preparing students for postgraduate success, with Lafayette's 91% graduation rate slightly edging out Wheaton's 89%. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions, including popular majors, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lafayette College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Easton, Pennsylvania	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	40.7%	86.3%
Application fees	$65	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1300 - 1460	1250 - 1430
ACT range	30 - 33	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	8,262	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	3,366	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	782	546
Yield rate	23.2%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$75,934	$54,700
Average net price	$38,754	$28,319
Tuition	$55,874	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,308 Meal plan: $6,362	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	61.0% Average amount $34,668	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $4,491	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $23,831	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 51.2% Women 48.8%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	N/A	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	82.6%	N/A
International students	7.8%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,510	2,153
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Mississippi Connecticut	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	87.9%	87.6%
Dropout rate	2.5%	3.1%
Transferred out	9.6%	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,532 Year 2: $68,379 Year 3: $80,306 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,033 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $78,021 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $77,247 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $76,714 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,784 Year 2: $65,486 Year 3: $76,536 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,714 Year 2: $72,403 Year 3: $75,320 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,927 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $72,455 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,229 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $60,266 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,408 Year 2: $44,468 Year 3: $57,092 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,680 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $50,156 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $48,201	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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