Lafayette College, one of the nation's oldest liberal arts schools, offers renowned engineering and science programs that prepare students for professional graduate degree programs. It boasts that graduates with good GPAs get accepted to medical schools at a rate of 72%, while acceptance rates for dental school are around 89% and an impressive 100% for veterinary and optometry schools.
At this close-knit college of about 2,700 undergraduate students, several programs connect liberal arts majors with engineering, science or technology in an effort to prepare students to tackle real-world problems. Such cross-disciplinary and practical experience may be one reason that Lafayette students do well in the workforce.
Lafayette may not come to mind as a sports powerhouse, but the college does have a rich football history. In 1894, a Lafayette player helped spur the invention of the football helmet by wearing leather straps around his head, and the college participates in one of collegiate football's oldest rivalries with nearby Lehigh University. A climbing wall, six-lane pool, intramural sports and a daily schedule of yoga and fitness classes are available for students interested in staying or getting fit.
