Lafayette College vs. Lehigh vs. Bucknell

Should I go to Lafayette College or Lehigh University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lafayette College or Lehigh 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. Lehigh University vs. Bucknell University comparison
Lafayette College Lehigh University Bucknell University College 4
Lafayette College Lehigh University Bucknell University
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Overview

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Location Easton, PA Bethlehem, PA Lewisburg, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,764 7,590 3,892
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #66 #58 #73
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website lafayette.edu lehigh.edu bucknell.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Tuition (In State) $61,482 $61,180 $64,418
Tuition (Out of State) $61,482 $61,180 $64,418
Room & Board $18,640 $16,470 $16,118
Avg Net Price $34,728 $33,289 $38,486
Avg Grant Aid $44,126 $43,644 $41,211
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 59% 56%

Admission

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Applied 9,874 18,415 11,010
Admitted 3,107 5,389 3,524
Acceptance Rate 31.5% 29.3% 32%
Enrolled % 22.4% 28.4% 29.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.53 3.81 3.62
Typical High School Grades B+ A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High High
ACT Range 30/33 31/33 31/33
SAT Range 1340/1490 1350/1490 1300/1450
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) 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 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Graduation Rate 88% 87% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $81,000 $89,200 $76,300
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 89% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,256 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $250 $279

Diversity

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
% Men 0% 12% 0%
% Women 0% 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium Low
HBCU No No No
% White 67% 66% 77%
% Black 5% 4% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3% 4%
% International 9% 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 3% 0%

Students

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
% In-State 13% 23% 21%
% Out-of-State 79% 69% 74%

Campus

 Lafayette College Lehigh Bucknell
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No
Daycare Facility No Yes No
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Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Lafayette College based on total student enrollment (7,590 students vs. 2,764 students)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lafayette College or Lehigh?

  • Lafayette College is 0.5% more expensive to attend than Lehigh for in-state tuition ($61,482.00 vs. $61,180.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.5% higher at Lafayette College than Lehigh University ($61,482.00 vs. $61,180.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lehigh University than Lafayette College ($33,289 vs. $34,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 13.2% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($16,470 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lehigh University than Lafayette College (59% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 1.1% larger than aid received Lehigh University ($44,126 vs. $43,644)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 44 points higher than at Lafayette College (1294)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Lafayette College (29)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Lafayette College (3.53)
  • Lafayette College has a higher acceptance rate (31.5%) than Lehigh (29.3%)

Lafayette College vs. Lehigh Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than Lehigh University (88% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $8,200 more per year than Lafayette College graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $81,000)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $1,744 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,000)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($250 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lehigh students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

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