Lafayette College

What is the history of Lafayette College?

Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1826 and opened to students in 1832, it was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, the French officer who supported the American Revolution.

The college began with a classical curriculum and later developed science and engineering education alongside the humanities and social sciences. That combination remains a defining feature: students can pursue engineering degrees within an undergraduate college that also emphasizes broad study across disciplines. Lafayette became coeducational in 1970. Prospective students looking at its history should distinguish the college from other institutions named Lafayette; this is the undergraduate college in Easton, not a campus of a university system.

What are the faculties and departments at Lafayette College?

Lafayette organizes its undergraduate academics across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. It awards bachelor's degrees rather than offering a broad range of graduate or professional programs.

Representative majors include English, history, economics, government and law, biology, chemistry, computer science, psychology, and several engineering fields. Engineering options include chemical, civil, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering. Students can also pursue interdisciplinary interests, including combinations of technical and liberal arts coursework. Degree requirements differ by major, so an applicant considering engineering, prehealth study, or a double major should examine the relevant department's course sequence early.

All students complete general education requirements in addition to major requirements. A reported student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 suggests comparatively small-scale undergraduate instruction, but it does not mean every class has ten students.

What is the location of Lafayette College?

Lafayette College occupies a residential campus on College Hill in Easton, in eastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. Its location places students near downtown Easton while keeping most classes and campus activities together on the hill.

Easton offers restaurants, arts venues, and community events; the wider Lehigh Valley includes Bethlehem and Allentown. Students traveling farther afield can use regional bus connections, though travel to and from campus may require planning around schedules. Lehigh Valley International Airport, near Allentown, is the closest major commercial airport. Because the campus sits above downtown, prospective commuters should consider the hill, weather, parking rules, and transit options rather than assuming every destination is an easy walk.

What is the mission and vision of Lafayette College?

Lafayette describes its educational purpose as combining liberal arts and engineering with close faculty-student engagement. Its stated priorities include intellectual inquiry, interdisciplinary learning, and preparing students to participate responsibly in society.

That philosophy helps explain why an engineering student takes courses outside engineering and why students in the arts and sciences can encounter technical and quantitative subjects. These are statements of institutional purpose, not evidence that every student has the same academic experience. Lafayette is an independent college; students do not need a religious affiliation to attend.