Lafayette rises 20 spots in Washington Monthly’s rankings of colleges for tuition and tax dollars

Lafayette College has been named #28 in the Northeast on Washington Monthly’s 2026 Best College for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars list, out of 393 institutions in the region, a 20-place rise from Lafayette’s #48 ranking in the publication’s 2025 Best Bang for the Buck ranking in the Northeast. Lafayette also placed #77 on the publication’s national list, out of 1,504 colleges and universities.

Rather than weighing prestige or selectivity, Washington Monthly evaluates colleges on their contribution to the public good, giving equal weight to four areas: access, affordability, outcomes, and community and national service. 

“Our namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette, believed in liberty and in serving a cause larger than himself,” says President Nicole Hurd. “This ranking asks whether a college opens its doors to talented students of every background, makes it possible for them to stay, and sends them into the world ready to serve. That is who Lafayette always has been, and it is why our no-loan commitment matters so much. I could not be prouder of this community.”

Lafayette’s commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need, together with its no-loan initiative for qualifying domestic students, helps make a Lafayette education accessible to talented students from a broad range of financial circumstances. Lafayette’s Gateway Career Center, recently named #5 in the country by The Princeton Review, reports that 96% of the Class of 2025 was employed, continuing education, or engaged in meaningful life work within 10 months of graduation, with an average starting salary of $71,576.

This recognition follows the release of the 2027 Best Colleges list by U.S. News & World Report, in which Lafayette was named the 30th Best National Liberal Arts College in the U.S. 

The full ranking list and methodology can be found on Washington Monthly’s website.