Buy our guides
Read our blog
Login Register

Lafayette College
- Diversity

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Yes, let this school know
Maybe, bookmark for later
No, get better matches
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

Your information has been sent to this school through our partnership with .

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

Jump to a section:

Grade
Quick Stats
Student Author Overview
Student Reviews
Student Polls
Facts
Take A SurveyWrite A ReviewUpload A PhotoLink Up A VideoWrite The Guide
Lafayette College - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Diversity

B-
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 5%
Asian American 4%
Hispanic 5%
International 6%
Native American 0%
White 71%
Unknown 9%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 81%
Common States of Residence
  • Connecticut
  • Foreign countries
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 2%
18-19: 48%
20-21: 46%
22-24: 4%
25+: 0%
Female Faculty 34%
Male Faculty 66%
Faculty Diversity African American: 3%
Asian American: 3%
Hispanic: 3%
International: 6%
Native American: 0%
White: 81%
Unknown: 5%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

At first glance, Lafayette College is not the most diverse campus on the East Coast. Most of the student body is comprised of upper-middle class, mid-Atlantic Caucasians. The College catalog claims that 5 percent of the student population comes from outside of the United States; however, most international students do not interact with the rest of the student body and vice versa. Even among the American students, instances of racial/ethnic/class segregation are quite prevalent. Social circles are commonly split along the racial/ethnic divide. A saunter through the Farinon College Center will reveal pockets of such behavior; for example, students involved in the Posse program (which draws mostly inner-city ethnic minorities) typically hang out with other students in the program. Likewise, members of the same sports team or the same Greek house will also socialize within their own circles.

The College, for its part, does try to promote campus diversity. While there have been instances of anti-semitic behavior, these issues were promptly addressed by the administration and the student body. Events hosted by the International Students Association (ISA) are widely publicized, as well as programs organized by the Association of Black Collegians (ABC), the Association For Lafayette Feminists, and the campus LGBTQ group, QuEST (Questioning Established Sexual Taboos). However, the campus is not known for having the most LGBTQ-friendly student body. Few people of diverse sexual backgrounds attend Lafayette College. 

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Lafayette Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Diversity at Lafayette College

ryanmj

'15

Civil Engineering

3.1
B-

Depends on what you mean by "Diverse"

The campus is definitely diverse in the sense that there's plenty of different races and religions represented, but amongst Caucasians THERE IS NO DIVERSITY WHATSOEVER. All of the white kids are upper-class, North Face-wearing liberals. If you're white and don't fit this stereotype, you won't find friends in the 75% white demographic or the 25% other.

Dec 17, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Diversity at Lafayette College

Marielag

'15

Neuroscience

4.6
A

Lots

There are so many people from different backgrounds and different cultures. A massive number of international students as well.

Oct 13, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Diversity at Lafayette College

fusionflare1

'15

Chemical Engineering

3.5
B

Mostly White, but Very Accepting People

More than two-thirds of the student body is white, but they're all very friendly and eager to know more about the different ethnic and religious groups represented on campus. Most people are supportive of LGBTQ and even stick labels on their rooms and laptops "LGBT? Fine by me." The school is just so-so with regards to economic diversity (many of the students here come from rich families) but I don't think that ever seems to be a problem.

Oct 13, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate
Page 1 of 6

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

Over the past few years, Lafayette students have become a bit more accepting of homosexuality on campus; with groups like QuEST (Questioning Established Sexual Taboos), there is an outlet for gay and straight students alike to voice opinions. However, the gay community has struggled with a number of problems due to Lafayette's conservative undertones. A number of QuEST members have continually said that it is generally hard to "come out" on campus.

Political Activity

Lafayette is well-known as being a "bubble" in regards to the outside world. The campus is generally apathetic to political events, and it is rare for a protest to ever occur. Generally, however, the campus is a mix between liberal and conservative thinking. Some might say that the students are liberal, and the administration is conservative. However, the school does support the College Democrats and College Republicans, two active political groups on campus.

Economic Status

Yes, those stereotypes are true. Lafayette is generally all white and upper-middle class, with students mostly coming from New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania. While the College boasts that more than 50 percent of students receive financial aid, walking on campus shows a different story.

Most Common Religions

Lafayette is very tolerant of all religions and offers a number of options to students. Although the Jewish population is relatively small, the Hillel Society is the most active and well-known religious group. The Newman House and Lafayette Christian Fellowship are also popular, as well as the Muslim Students Association and the International Students Association.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Lafayette's minority clubs are large and thriving on campus these days. The International Students Association (ISA) is popular, and the Association of Black Collegians (ABC) has proved its staying power on campus. ISA also has its annual "extravaganza" that promotes cultural diversity.

Buy The Guidebook

Buy a hard copy of "Lafayette College 2012: Off The Record"

Read more about the book . . .Add to Cart

Buy the eBook:

AmazonBarnes & NobleGoogleSmashwordsDownload the FREE Printable Summary (PDF)

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Lafayette

Name: Shehtaz Huq

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Major: English, Film and Media Studies

Grad Year: 2014

see all student author bios > Become a student author to help update the guide for this school

Find a college

Find a major

Scholarships

Reviews

Company

Buy College Prowler school guides in our bookstore Get the real scoop on what it's like on campus and see what school is the place for you!

How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. Please note that the information presented on this site is updated periodically, but may not be the
most recent information available for a particular school. For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.