Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $55,911 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $31.6K more than the national median. The 61% who received grants paid $38,442 on average; the other 39% paid the full sticker price of $83,364.
- Full price
- $83,364 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
- Merit aid
- 29% · avg $37K
- of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $47K · proxy: 29% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $13K a year |
| $30–48K | $7K a year |
| $48–75K | $11K a year |
| $75–110K | $13K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
$55,911
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
61% got grants averaging $44,707; 39% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$92,492 before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 14% from 2023–24.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$92,492
- Books and supplies$1,000
- Transportation$250
- Other expenses$500
- Total for a student living on campus$94,242
$16K
≈ $170/month for 10 years
2.4 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
About 1 in 5 undergrads borrows federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full33–34%
- Paying it down35–36%
- Payments paused16–18%
- Not paying it down11–12%
- Behind or in default0–4%
- Forgiven or discharged0–2%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
ModerateGrants cover 33% of the $83,364 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 33% of colleges.
$27,453 in grants per first-year ÷ $83,364 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (697), 2023–24
About 1 in 3 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $83,364.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (697)
- Federal aid + grants223avg grant $52.2K
- Grants, no federal aid205avg grant $36.6K
- No grants269pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (239 of 697), because income is only reported for them.
From Lafayette College's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 45%314 students | 36%956 students |
| Need met, on average | 100% | 100% |
| Need fully met | 100% | 100% |
| Average aid package | $63,336 | $63,155 |
| Average need-based grant | $54,031 | $54,046 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,542 | $4,015 |
| Merit aid without need | – | 21%average $23,940 |
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Also: 2024 federal return, W2s, verification worksheet
Priority date: January 15 · Deadline: January 15 · Aid offers: about April 1 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | not marked | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | ✓ | ✓ |
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
In the college's words:
“Families with total income less than $200,000 with typical assets now meet the no-loan threshold (was previously $150,000).”Lafayette College Common Data Set
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Lafayette College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Lafayette College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Lafayette College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Lafayette College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)