Liberal arts college
#2 Best colleges in WisconsinLawrence University
Appleton, WI · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $23,401 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#37 of 704
- Best small colleges in America#64 of 906
- Best colleges for business in America#140 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#127 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#217 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#171 of 1,418
Show 15 more
- Best test-optional colleges in America#188 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#174 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#166 of 1,283
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#242 of 1,829
- Best colleges for history in America#171 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#166 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#176 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#175 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#171 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#166 of 1,063
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#110 of 690
- Best colleges for computer science in America#122 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#76 of 430
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#138 of 704
- Best colleges for economics in America#170 of 788
In Wisconsin
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Wisconsin#1 of 24
- Best colleges in Wisconsin#2 of 36
- Best colleges for computer science in Wisconsin#1 of 17
- Best colleges for business in Wisconsin#2 of 34
- Best test-optional colleges in Wisconsin#2 of 34
- Best small colleges in Wisconsin#1 of 15
Show 16 more
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Wisconsin#1 of 15
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Wisconsin#1 of 15
- Best colleges for art and design in Wisconsin#2 of 29
- Best colleges for education in Wisconsin#2 of 29
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Wisconsin#2 of 28
- Best colleges for mathematics in Wisconsin#2 of 28
- Best colleges for psychology in Wisconsin#2 of 28
- Best colleges for chemistry in Wisconsin#2 of 27
- Best colleges for English in Wisconsin#2 of 27
- Best colleges for history in Wisconsin#2 of 27
- Best colleges for music in Wisconsin#2 of 25
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Wisconsin#3 of 36
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Wisconsin#2 of 23
- Best colleges for economics in Wisconsin#2 of 19
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Wisconsin#2 of 15
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Wisconsin#3 of 15
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.77%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,350 · ACT 27.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.7 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$22,280
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $69,849 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,410 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 17% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 74% |
| Total students | 1,410 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $23,401 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $69,849 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 77% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 63% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 67% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 79% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $55,789 |
| Admission rate | 64% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 1 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $960 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1350 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 610–710 |
| SAT math | 590–710 |
| ACT composite | 24–31 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Music | |
| Biology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Business (general), Chemistry, Classics, Computer science, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Geology and earth science, German, Global studies, History, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other visual and performing arts, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Biology | |
| Social sciences | |
| Psychology | |
| English |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $12,165 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Midwest Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 7 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 22%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 84%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $317,471IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Appleton International Airport (ATW)About 6 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)About 94 miles away |
| Town population | 75,023Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | MilwaukeeAbout 86 miles away · about 1 hour 55 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 18°F in January · 71°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Appleton, WI |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 7.06 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Lawrence University’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 12% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Lawrence University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $23,401 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Lawrence University?
- Lawrence University admitted 64% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Lawrence University’s graduates do?
- 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,789; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 239017
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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