Just like many other schools this past year, Lafayette College received a record number of applicants for the Class of 2029. The acceptance rate didn’t quite hit a record low, but it got pretty darn close. The Class of 2029 faced a 29.46% acceptance rate, down from the Class of 2028’s 31.5% acceptance rate. The number of applicants increased by around 3.5% to join the Lafayette College Class of 2029. 

Founded in March 1826, Lafayette College describes themselves as independent, academically competitive, and culturally diverse. But what does it take to become a part of this class of students? Let’s dive into the GPA requirements to join the Lafayette community, a.k.a, the Leopards. Meow! 

Lafayette College Class of 2029

The Lafayette Class of 2029’s record number of applicants was a grand total of 10,547 students, yet the school only admitted 3,108 students. The Dean of Admissions Krista Evans estimated that about half of the students who enrolled are from the two Early rounds of applicants, which again shows that applying Early gives students a leg up in the process. Every student that Ivy Coach works with will apply for an Early Action/Early Decision deadline, because students who apply Early do face better admissions odds, especially for schools where the acceptance rate is even lower than Lafayette. 

For the Class of 2028, only 10,195 students applied, about 400 fewer than the most recent applicant pool for the Class of 2029. They admitted 3,206 students, more than they did this year, and the acceptance rate was thus a bit higher for Lafayette’s Class of 2028. 

The breakdown of students who applied for the Class of 2028 is as follows, according to Lafayette’s 2024-2025 Common Data Set: 5,322 men and 4,871 women. However, they accepted 1,640 women and only 1,566 men, so women have a slightly higher chance at acceptance based on the balancing percentages the university is doing to create an equal gender divide. 

Lafayette College GPA Requirements

Students may have questions, looking at this acceptance rate that’s less than 30%, about what GPA they need to get accepted to Lafayette College. Of course, at Ivy Coach, we’ll of course say the higher the better for all numerical statistics, but let’s take a look at the high school GPA breakdown of enrolled students based on class rank in the Class of 2028 for more context. 

The GPAs of Lafayette College Class of 2028 Students

According to the 2024-2025 Common Data Set: 

Score Range	Percent (Students who submitted scores)
Percent who had GPA of 4.0	14.54%
Percent who had GPA between 3.75 and 3.99	25.55%
Percent who had GPA between 3.50 and 3.74	26.43%
Percent who had GPA between 3.25 and 3.49	16.30%
Percent who had GPA between 3.00 and 3.24	12.33%
Percent who had GPA between 2.50 and 2.99	4.85%
Percent who had GPA between 2.0 and 2.49	0%
Percent who had GPA between 1.0 and 1.99	0%
Percent who had GPA below 1.0	0%

Looking at these numbers, we at Ivy Coach feel confident in saying that students should certainly not apply to Lafayette with anything lower than a 2.50 GPA, and even then, less than 5% of the Class of 2028 who submitted their GPA landed in the 2.50-2.99 range. 

Two out of three of the students who submitted their GPAs and then enrolled in the Class of 2028, which was 66.52% total, had GPAs of 3.50 or above. Again, for students who really want to strengthen their chances of acceptance into Lafayette, attaining that GPA at a minimum would be wise.

The GPAs of Lafayette College Class of 2027 Students

According to the 2023-2024 Common Data Set: 

Score Range	Percent (Students who submitted scores)
Percent who had GPA of 4.0	14.7%
Percent who had GPA between 3.75 and 3.99	26.4%
Percent who had GPA between 3.50 and 3.74	26.4%
Percent who had GPA between 3.25 and 3.49	15.6%
Percent who had GPA between 3.00 and 3.24	11.4%
Percent who had GPA between 2.50 and 2.99	5.2%
Percent who had GPA between 2.0 and 2.49	0.3%
Percent who had GPA between 1.0 and 1.99	0%
Percent who had GPA below 1.0	0%

The GPAs of Lafayette College Class of 2026 Students

According to the 2022-2023 Common Data Set: 

Score Range	Percent (Students who submitted scores)
Percent who had GPA of 4.0	10.88%
Percent who had GPA between 3.75 and 3.99	22.15%
Percent who had GPA between 3.50 and 3.74	29.18%
Percent who had GPA between 3.25 and 3.49	20.95%
Percent who had GPA between 3.00 and 3.24	12.07%
Percent who had GPA between 2.50 and 2.99	4.64%
Percent who had GPA between 2.0 and 2.49	0.13%
Percent who had GPA between 1.0 and 1.99	0%
Percent who had GPA below 1.0	0%

What is a Good GPA for Lafayette College?

Based on the GPAs of enrolled students for the past three years, students should certainly be aiming for above a 2.50 GPA. Even though less than a percent of students in both the Lafayette Class of 2026 and the Class of 2027 had GPAs in the 2.00-2.49 range, do you really want to be the lowest end of the statistic?

Ivy Coach’s Help with Lafayette College Candidacy

If you’re reading all this as a parent and starting to panic because you know your child lacks that compelling, cohesive narrative or you know they’re coming across as super well rounded, don’t panic (yet)! There’s still time for Ivy Coach to fix those mistakes and get your student’s application on track.

We recommend setting up Ivy Coach’s Strategy Session to get ahead in the admissions process, or to keep from falling behind. We’ll provide a comprehensive overview of what your student can do to best position themself for success at Lafayette College, or any other top university across the country.  So, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.