March 7, 2025

Let’s Get Real

You want to know as much as you can about what it’s really like at Lafayette. Here’s a snapshot of your future on College Hill.

38 residential buildings and on-campus housing for all four years

WHAT THAT MEANS: You’ll always have a home at Lafayette. As a residential college, students live on campus until they graduate.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: As a first-year student, you’ll live in a residence hall and get acclimated to your new life at Laf. As an upper-level student, you’ll have options like suites, apartments, and fraternity and sorority houses. Our newest option, McCartney II, features units with full kitchens, student lounges on each floor, and a game room with pingpong, air hockey, and foosball tables.

Students celebrate in front of Gates Hall

8 dining options, including cafés, made-to-order restaurants, and traditional dining halls

WHAT THAT MEANS: Dining options to suit your mood and consider your dietary needs—including allergen-free and vegan foods.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: Try Gilbert’s Café for all-day breakfast options, or stop by Cinco for burritos, bowls, and more. Want to grab and go? Explore Simon’s Market—powered by Amazon’s 24-hour Just Walk Out technology—or venture over to ECO Café for made-to-order smoothies and prepared foods.

Students interact while eating at Eco cafe.

Two students enjoy lunch at Cinco restaurant.

Students sit around a table at Mojo enjoying coffees.

23 Division I sports

WHAT THAT MEANS: Whether you’re a student-athlete or a fan, Lafayette takes sports seriously. Athletics here are supportive and competitive—while still prioritizing academics.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: Join the maroon and leopard-decked crowd to cheer on the most-played football rivalry in the country or the 2024 Patriot League Champion field hockey team. Lafayette’s Division I atmosphere means you can’t help but revel in school spirit.

Roary the Leopard waves a Lafayette flag in front of a crowd.

Four students in Lafayette and Leopard gear at a game

Field hockey players hold up the championship trophy

Football players smile holding a trophy and a sign that reads Football Champions.

130+ organizations (including 50+ club sports and intramural activities)

WHAT THAT MEANS: We’re sure you’ll find clubs and organizations to enjoy—and it doesn’t end there. In the spirit of Cur Non, you can uncover hidden passions and explore interests you never knew you had!

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: A little something for everything that you love! A dash of fraternity and sorority life, a pinch of anime club, or a sprinkle of community engagement—you can create your ideal extracurricular life. Some of our newest clubs include Badminton Club, The Film Society, The Lafayette Data Community, and English Club.

A student signs up for a club during an involvement fair

Students play a tennis game on the Quad.

A student smiles, holding a springfest shirt.

Students smile together — Students smile at the camera during spring fest.

Four students stand in front of their table for their greek organization at a fair.

Two students smile at a club fair, with a sign that reads

Two students smile holding a flag with a smiley face that reads

43% of students in the Class of 2023 participated in at least one semester of EXCEL research, independent study, or honors thesis

WHAT THAT MEANS: Your academic opportunities start—but don’t end—in the classroom.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: You’ll work alongside our esteemed faculty, contributing to cutting-edge research and collaborating on projects that have the power to change the world. Maybe you’ll partner with Prof. Meg Rothenberger ’02 to improve the health of a creek that borders Lafayette’s campus; work to improve motorcycle safety with Prof. Alexander Brown; examine what might motivate Gen Z to vote with Gov Lab; or forge a brand-new path of discovery.

A professor and a student conduct research in Bushkill Creek.

A student and faculty member conduct research at a computer in a lab. — A professor assists a student conducting research in the lab.

Students and their professor talk at chairs.

Professor Sunderlin shares fossils with two students.

Easton: Our hometown is a historic and vibrant location

WHAT THAT MEANS: Founded in 1752, our city is a hot spot for dining, entertainment, and especially outdoor festivals.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: You’ll find it all, just steps away from campus. Are you a foodie? Easton has around 50 restaurants including steakhouses, seafood, multicultural cuisine, and more. A patron of the arts? The State Theatre Center for the Arts hosts performances by world-renowned artists. Love a good festival? Venture downtown for PA Bacon Fest, Easton Heritage Day, Easton Winter Village, Easton Garlic Fest, and more!

Students sit outside of Easton Public Market.

Students smile at the fountain at Centre Square.

A pizza and a pasta dish from Colonial Pizza are shown on a blue tablecloth.

Giacomo's Italian Market is pictured with shelves of ready-to-go items.

Our working farm is a cornerstone of the Lafayette College Sustainable Food Loop

WHAT THAT MEANS: One of the College’s sustainability initiatives, LaFarm is a 3-acre sustainable growing operation and greenhouse that provides food for the dining halls, students, and the surrounding community.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: You get to enjoy fresh and local produce through both campus dining and a community farmstand. Feel like getting your hands dirty? You can get jobs as farm crew, volunteer for an afternoon, or even start your own mini-farm in the community garden.

A green house at LaFarm, surrounded by sunflowers. — Sunflowers pop up before the greenhouse at LaFarm

Two students stand in front of an electric vehicle with buckets of compost.

Students smile, holding buckets of potatoes.

We’re committed to our community

WHAT THAT MEANS: The Landis Center for Community Engagement focuses on scholarship, civic leadership, and volunteerism. Providing volunteer opportunities, internships, or community-engaged coursework, Landis Center helps students interact meaningfully with the greater Easton community.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: Whatever you’re passionate about, there’s a way to get involved. From tutoring to food access, literacy to mentorship, you can take pride in engaging with the places and people that make Easton our home.

Students interact with children at POSP.

Students collect trash while volunteering in the community.

Lafayette students meet with local elementary school children for Literacy Day in Farinon. The day included a reading by Mayor Sal Panto

A Lafayette students sits alongside an elementary student

200+ semester abroad opportunities in over 50 countries

WHAT THAT MEANS: Lafayette’s campus is a pretty amazing place, but Leopard life doesn’t stop on College Hill. Study abroad offerings include Lafayette faculty-led curriculums or programs through affiliated colleges.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE: You can take your education across the world. Maybe you’ll study coral in Turks and Caicos, support refugees in London, or tutor high school students in Madagascar. Whether you’re seeking an experience that is for a full semester or during winter break, you have options at Lafayette.