How to apply to Lafayette College for engineering: one Common App application, a shared first semester for every engineering major, then choosing a major, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

Lafayette College (Easton, Pennsylvania) is a liberal arts college, and its engineering programs sit in the Engineering Division, so students study engineering alongside the liberal arts. Below is what the college’s website says, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. It is based on pages read in October 2026.

1. Engineering degrees

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.): chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and integrative engineering with a focus in bioengineering, environment and energy, or robotics. The division’s about page says five B.S. degrees and one B.A.
• Bachelor of Arts (A.B.): engineering studies.
• Dual degree: a B.S. in an engineering discipline (chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical, or integrative engineering with one of the three foci) together with an A.B. in international studies. The college says it is designed to be completed in at most four years and a summer, with a language of concentration (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish are offered) and study or work abroad.
• Size: about 750 students in the division and about 225 new engineering students each year, out of roughly 2,700 students at the college.
• ABET: the engineering pages we read do not mention ABET accreditation; this is not published there, so ask the division at engineering@lafayette.edu or 610-330-5403.
• Computer science has its own guide on this site and is not covered here.

2. Admission route: one application, choose the engineering major later

• How to apply: the Common App is the only way to apply. The application pages we read do not say whether you choose engineering on the application or whether engineering has separate capacity or review; this is not published, so ask admissions at admissions@lafayette.edu.
• The first semester is the same for every engineering major: ES 101 Introduction to Engineering Design, a First Year Seminar, calculus (161, or another course depending on the Math Advising Test) and Chemistry 107 (a chemistry placement exam is required; students placed into Chemistry 108 also receive credit for 107 after passing 108, earning two credits for one course).
• When you choose: the college page says students typically declare a major by the end of sophomore year and that the first year of engineering study is common to all five engineering degrees. The course selection page adds that students unsure about engineering can take the recommended first-semester courses; it is easier to switch out of engineering because the courses count toward other majors, and harder to switch in without the foundation courses.
• GPA thresholds, required course grades or capacity limits for entering a major: not described in the pages we read (not published); contact the division’s coordinator, Lisa Karam (karaml@lafayette.edu).
• Moving into engineering from another major: the only statement is that it is more difficult without the foundation courses; specific conditions are not published.

3. Prerequisites

• Math: engineering students take Math 161, 162, 263 and 264 (the page says AB Engineering students are not required to take Math 264). New students choose their first calculus course using the Math Advising Test result; students with calculus credit take the next course in the sequence.
• Chemistry and computing: a chemistry placement exam is required; chemical engineering also requires Chemistry 108, and electrical and computer engineering requires CS 104 or CS 105.
• AP, IB and Cambridge: the college awards credit for College Board AP, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge GCE A-levels; which scores replace which courses is not published on these pages (the engineering page refers to the registrar).
• High school courses: the admissions and engineering pages we read do not list the number of high school math, physics or chemistry courses required for engineering applicants; this is not published, so ask admissions.

4. Rounds, fee, essays and testing

• Rounds: Early Decision I, 15 November (binding; decision in mid-December; deposit by 5 January); Regular Decision and Early Decision II, 15 January (ED II decision in mid-February, deposit by 1 March; Regular Decision decisions in late March, deposit by 1 May); Regular Decision applicants may convert to ED II by 1 February. The pages carry no year, so verify that the dates apply to fall 2027.
• Fee: $65, with a fee-waiver option; the enrollment deposit is $750 and non-refundable.
• Essay: beyond the Common App personal essay, an optional supplement, “Why Lafayette?” (20 to 200 words). No engineering-specific supplement is described (not published).
• Recommendations and grades: one counselor recommendation and at least one teacher recommendation (preferably from an academic subject in the junior or senior year); an official transcript and school report; mid-year or first-marking-period grades.
• Testing: SAT and ACT are optional for applicants entering in fall 2027 and fall 2028. Self-reported scores require official scores at enrollment, and Lafayette superscores both tests. No separate engineering testing requirement is described.
• Interview: “What we look for” lists interactions through an admissions interview; the scholarship page encourages an interview; the international page says interviews are encouraged but not required (virtual interviews are offered).
• Activities: the review focuses on the top six activities on the Common App.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• In-state versus out-of-state: Lafayette is private; the cost page lists one tuition figure with no resident distinction, and the website does not describe priority or guaranteed admission for any state’s residents.
• 2026-2027 costs: tuition $70,486, matriculation fee $750 (one time, first-year students), student activity fee $360, housing (room rate 1) $12,968 and food (20 meals a week) $7,928, for billed expenses of $92,492; non-billed estimates are books and supplies $1,000, transportation $250 and personal $940. The cost page lists no engineering surcharge, and an engineering differential is not published; it does list $160 for studio arts and lab science courses.
• Need-based aid: the college says it is one of 73 institutions that guarantee to meet 100% of demonstrated need for applicants who meet the deadlines. Aid applicants submit the CSS Profile, FAFSA and tax documents through IDOC by the same deadline as the application (15 November for ED I, 15 January otherwise).
• Merit scholarships: every applicant is considered automatically, with no extra application. The Marquis Fellowship is full tuition and the Marquis Scholarship half tuition (both need a 3.00 GPA to keep), and Cur Non Scholarships range from $17,500 to $31,500; awards run for up to eight semesters and appear in the acceptance letter. They typically go to students near the top of the class in the most demanding curriculum, and the college suggests applying a few weeks before 15 January.
• Others: athletic scholarships in 10 sports, Posse scholarships (10 students each from New York City and Washington, D.C.) and Tuition Exchange.
• Engineering awards: the division’s funding page lists the Havens Award (non-traditional summer learning) and the Daniel O’Neil Engineering Design Award (senior projects); these are for enrolled engineering students rather than entrance scholarships.
• Co-op: the engineering pages we read do not describe a co-op program; not published. The opportunities page lists research, study abroad, community involvement and the Gateway Career Center. On study abroad, the opportunities page says half of engineering students take part, while the about page says about one third study abroad for a semester and another third take short-term programs; we give both.

6. International students

• Materials: the Common App; the $65 fee (a fee-waiver option exists); a counselor recommendation and at least one teacher recommendation; an official transcript and school report sent by the school; mid-year or first-trimester grades (first marking-period grades for ED); English proof; optional SAT/ACT; the CSS Profile for need-based aid.
• English: required for international students. Lafayette typically looks for TOEFL 100 (new TOEFL 5), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130. Students whose first language is English or who have had English-medium instruction for the past three years complete an attestation form to waive the test; email admissions to request it. The website does not list exempt countries.
• National examinations: A-level, French Baccalaureate, German Abitur and similar results are considered individually for credit; ask the registrar about IB.
• Aid: the site says Lafayette guarantees to meet full demonstrated need of all admitted students, domestic and international, but also says it is need-aware in admission decisions; the transfer page adds that need-based aid for non-U.S. citizens is “extremely limited” and admission is highly competitive. Demonstrated need does not mean every cost is covered; summer and interim costs are typically the family’s. We give both statements; confirm with admissions.
• Costs: the same as for U.S. students (section 5); no separate international tuition is listed. The net price calculator is for domestic students only.
• Scholarships: merit awards are considered for all applicants; the website does not say whether international students can receive Marquis or Cur Non awards (not published).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international page does not say whether or how the Gaokao is used and has no China country page; not published, so ask admissions at admissions@lafayette.edu.
• Transcripts: official transcripts and school reports must come from the school; the pages do not describe exam-certificate or credential-evaluation requirements for high school applicants (only international college transfers need a WES course-by-course evaluation); not published.
• English: no country-based exemption list; submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, or request the waiver if you have had three years of English-medium instruction.
• Interview: virtual interviews are offered and encouraged; admissions staff interview outside the U.S. in the fall when conditions allow, with the schedule published in late summer.
• Math preparation: engineering requires the calculus sequence, with placement by the Math Advising Test; see section 3.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines: fall entry 1 May; spring entry 1 November; rolling review (fall from March, spring from October). The pages carry no year, so verify. $65 fee; admitted students normally have about 10 days to accept and pay the $750 deposit.
• Requirements: no minimum number of courses or credits; full-time enrollment is required, at least two years in residence, and at least half of the courses for the major must be taken at Lafayette. No minimum GPA is stated (not published).
• Materials: Common App, official high school transcript or GED, official college transcripts, the Common App college report, mid-term report, transfer essay, an optional professor recommendation, and course descriptions and syllabi (sent after admission for credit review); SAT/ACT optional.
• Credit: Lafayette must offer an equivalent course, class time must match, prerequisites must be satisfied, and a grade of C or better is needed. Credit is evaluated only after admission and the deposit, and all transfers go through a credit evaluation. AP and IB credit is accepted for placement and credit. It is possible that no credits transfer, in which case you enter with first-year standing and need eight full-time semesters.
• Engineering transfers: the pages do not list required calculus, physics or chemistry sequences for transfers into engineering (not published); because the engineering sequence is tightly linked (and the division says switching into engineering without the foundation courses is harder), contact the Engineering Division before applying.
• International transfers: English proof (waivable on the same terms); students from colleges outside the U.S. must submit a WES course-by-course evaluation (no WES fee waivers); international transfers generally cannot commute and must live in college housing; need-based aid for non-U.S. citizens is extremely limited, requires the CSS Profile and has no CSS fee waiver.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Common App, ED I 15 November or Regular Decision / ED II 15 January; $65; SAT/ACT optional; aid documents due the same day
• Plan Chemistry 107/108, calculus and Introduction to Engineering Design in the first semester; declare a major from the second year

International students (including applicants from China):

• Official transcript and school report, two recommendations, TOEFL 100 (new 5) / IELTS 7 / Duolingo 130; CSS Profile for aid
• Gaokao use is not published; ask admissions

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 1 May; course descriptions and syllabi; engineering course-sequence requirements are not published, so ask the Engineering Division

Sources: Lafayette College, Engineering Division about; Engineering programs; First-year engineering course selection; Engineering/International Studies dual degree; Engineering funding; Opportunities; Enrollment and graduate data; Departments and programs; Apply; First-year applicants; What we look for; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Deadlines and forms; College costs (2026-2027); Scholarships; Financial aid. The deadline pages carry no year; only the testing policy says it applies to fall 2027 and fall 2028 entry. Check Lafayette’s website for the latest.