Lafayette College received a record-high 10,901 applications for the Class of 2030 with 3,518 students — 32.27% of applicants — accepted.
“The Class of 2030 applicant pool is defined by stellar academic quality, significant expansion in our geographic reach, and volume of applications,” wrote Forrest Stuart, the vice president of enrollment, in an email. The college saw 350 more applicants than the record set last year.
With decisions released to students last week, Stuart wrote that the college expects to enroll roughly 735 students into the Class of 2030, matching the enrollment goal for the Class of 2029. The acceptance rate was similar to previous years, hovering around 30%.
The college previously accepted 362 Early Decision applicants, making up about 10% of accepted students.
A February email sent by several members of college admissions reported 4,165 international student applications — another record figure for the college — marking a 6.5% increase over last year’s application cycle. The college also reported a large increase in Southwest applications and prospective engineering students.
Stuart highlighted that domestic applications came from all regions of the United States, with typically strong application numbers coming from the college’s “backyard” of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The college also saw a 37.9% increase in applications from the Southeast, West Coast and Texas compared to last year.
Disclaimer: Managing Editor Benjamin White ‘27, Design Director Jen Parsons ‘26 and News Editor Andreas Pelekis ‘26 are employees in the Office of Admissions. They did not contribute writing or reporting.
