W&J College vs Lafayette College

Washington & Jefferson College and Lafayette College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington & Jefferson, nestled in Washington, Pennsylvania, boasts a tight-knit community with a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate. Lafayette, situated in Easton, Pennsylvania, offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of popular majors, including engineering and business. While both colleges provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts, their unique characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which college better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lafayette College	Washington & Jefferson College
Overview
Location	Easton, Pennsylvania	Washington, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	78.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	40.7%	83.7%
Application fees	$65
SAT range	1300 - 1460	1050 - 1300
ACT range	30 - 33	21 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	38.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	8,262	3,150
Total number of admissions given out	3,366	2,636
Admitted students who chose to enroll	782	328
Yield rate	23.2%	12.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$75,934	$65,164
Average net price	$38,754	$27,101
Tuition	$55,874	$49,612
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,308 Meal plan: $6,362	Room/dormitory: $7,788 Meal plan: $5,484
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	100.0% Average amount $37,783
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $4,491	96.0% Average amount $5,631
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $23,831	13.0% Average amount $15,545

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 51.2% Women 48.8%	1,156 Men 51.0% Women 49.0%
Graduate students	N/A	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	82.6%	N/A
International students	7.8%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,510	1,399
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	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Computer and Information Science Physical Science Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	87.9%	76.1%
Dropout rate	2.5%	23.9%
Transferred out	9.6%	N/A
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	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,790 Year 2: $51,392 Year 3: $60,675 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,446 Year 2: $41,286 Year 3: $55,237 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,356 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,440 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,605 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $45,345 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,333 Year 2: $35,954 Year 3: $38,468 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,664 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: N/A Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,624 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A

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