Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Lafayette College graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout the early career period. Median earnings increase from $80,614 six years after enrollment to $84,452 at eight years and $91,410 at ten years, representing 13.4% growth between the six-year and ten-year measurement points.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $16,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Lafayette College graduates manage debt levels well below national and peer averages. Median debt reaches $16,000, compared to the peer median of $24,181, representing $8,181 less borrowing than typical private nonprofit institutions.
Lafayette College demonstrates excellent return on investment, ranking in the 95.8th percentile nationally with top-tier performance driven by strong absolute earnings relative to educational costs. Return performance reflects the combination of exceptional graduate earnings at $91,410 annually and controlled debt levels at $16,000 median.
Approximately 20.5% of Lafayette College graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with medium confidence. ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Applied Economics drives the strongest individual program earnings at $88,504 with 117 graduates, representing Lafayette College's largest program by enrollment. Civil Engineering produces nearly identical earnings at $88,494 with smaller cohorts, while Chemical Engineering graduates earn $86,678 annually.
Liberal arts programs show more modest earnings but strong value performance, with American Government and Politics graduates earning $71,924 and Psychology graduates earning $60,657. Even Sociology and Anthropology graduates, earning $43,321, achieve exceptional value scores reflecting manageable debt and strong completion outcomes.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution spans from $63,534 at the 25th percentile to $133,083 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.1:1 ratio between top and bottom quartile outcomes. Low-income graduates earn $77,800, ranking among the top 5% nationally and demonstrating strong mobility potential for students from lower-income backgrounds despite limited overall access.
