The cost of attendance for Lafayette College will increase by 3.5% for the 2025-26 academic year, raising it to $87,318, according to an announcement by college President Nicole Hurd on Monday.
“We know that such increases are never welcome,” Hurd wrote in the announcement. “Our decision to increase the cost of attendance resulted from the extensive scrutiny of our faculty and administration committee (College Budget Planning Committee) and detailed review of College costs by the Board of Trustees.”
The announcement cites inflation as a significant cause for the change, as well as new investments made by the college, such as in faculty recruitment and campus facilities improvement. Inflation currently stands at 2.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The college will charge $66,496 for tuition and $19,712 for room and board.
The increase for the 2025-26 academic year is lower than previous tuition changes. Last year, families were notified of a 4.4% increase in tuition. In the 2023-24 academic year, the college approved a 5.5% increase in tuition and brought the total cost of attendance to above $80,000.
Hurd and Vice President of Finance and Administration Audra Kahr did not respond to requests for comment; budget planning committee member and economics professor James DeVault deferred comment to administrators.
