Lafayette College

Lafayette College, one of the nation's oldest liberal arts schools, also has prominent engineering and science programs that prep students for applying to professional graduate degree programs. Graduates with good GPAs get accepted to medical schools at a rate of 74%, while acceptance rates for dental school are around 83%, and an impressive 100% for veterinary and optometry school. At this close-knit school of about 2,500 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 alumni do well in the workforce, with early career salaries averaging nearly $85,000, well above the salaries expected of graduates who attend similar institutions, according to a Money's analysis. 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. 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 their own exercise.