[10] The college requires students to live in campus housing for their first three years unless approved for residing at home as a commuter.

[14] The recent visit of General Lafayette to New York during his grand tour of the US in 1824 and 1825 prompted the founders to name the college after the renowned French military officer, a hero of the American Revolutionary War, as "a testimony of respect for [his] talents, virtues, and signal services... in the great cause of freedom".

[18] Along with establishing Lafayette as a liberal arts college, the charter provided for religious equality among professors, students, and staff.

[19] The board of trustees met on May 15, 1826, for the election of officers: Thomas McKeen as Treasurer, Joel Jones as Secretary, and James Madison Porter as the first president of the college.

[23] He moved the all-male Manual Labor Academy of Pennsylvania from Germantown (near Philadelphia) to Easton to assist with the physical construction of the college's first building.

[9] This manual labor was retained as part of the curriculum until 1839, as the college was focused on preparing students for Military and Civil Engineering.

[28] Later that year, Lafayette purchased property on what is now known as "College Hill" – nine acres of elevated land across Bushkill Creek.

[9][30] A dispute, largely related to the financial well-being of the school, between Porter and Junkin led to the latter man's resignation from the presidency in 1841.

[32] In an effort to restore financial order to the institution, the trustees explored the potential of adding a religious affiliation.

Though the college faced its own deficits during the Depression, it aided the larger community by offering a series of free classes to unemployed men, beginning in 1932.

[47] President Lewis regarded this 70-year span as a period which "covers the great development in American engineering which has now seemed to reach its peak.

"[47] The goal of this campaign was to raise $500,000 for payments on Gates Hall, renovation of Van Wickle Memorial Library, and equipment upgrades in other departments.

[53] While more students enlisted, Lafayette College was one of 36 academic institutions selected by the United States Department of War to train engineering and aviation cadets.

[54] After the war, the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944 (known as the GI Bill) resulted in a new wave of enrollment at Lafayette by veterans[55] and by 1949 the college had approximately 2000 students.

[56] In 1967, in consideration of cultural changes that included women seeking more participation in society, faculty requested that a special committee be formed to discuss making Lafayette a co-educational institution.

Its most popular majors, by 2021 graduates, were:[69] Lafayette College offers engineering programs within its liberal arts setting.

[74] Lafayette's team was undefeated in the academic College Bowl in 1962, retiring after beating the University of California, Berkeley for its fifth victory.

Lafayette also participates with the Posse Foundation, which sends two groups of ten students each year from the New York and Washington metropolitan areas.

[83] Lafayette's campus buildings range in architectural style from Pardee Hall's Second Empire design and Hogg Hall's Collegiate Gothic, to the late modern architecture of the Williams Center for the Arts, the William E. and Carol G. Simon Wing of Skillman Library, and the Farinon College Center.

[93] In addition, Lafayette College provides specialty housings that ties to specific academic departments, student organizations, or religious affiliations.

Gilbert's, located on the ground floor of Kirby House, was opened in 1999 to provide a late-night hangout and food for students.

[95] Lafayette also maintains an off-campus organic farm, LaFarm, which provides vegetables to the dining halls and employment for interested students.

Additionally, members of each house commit themselves to various philanthropic ventures throughout the academic year as these groups work together with the college, local, and national affiliates to help achieve the goals and ideals their organizations were founded upon.

The newspaper has been published continuously since its creation, with the exception of during World War II, when operations were suspended between fall 1943 and March 1945, and during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[115] The college radio station, which was founded in 1946, is WJRH and broadcasts to the campus and greater Lehigh Valley area at 104.9FM.

[119] Alpha Phi Omega, an international co-educational service fraternity, was founded at Lafayette in 1925 by Frank Reed Horton in Hogg Hall.

[120] The chapter regained its charter in 2018 after the efforts of student leaders, and maintains a mission to provide service work on campus and in the Easton community.

[124] El Convento, which is located in the Yoro district of central Honduras, will be the third sustainable water project EWB-LC students have worked on in the country since 2003 when the club was founded.

[128] LAF is made up of five committees: Class Year Experience, Culture, Media, & Entertainment, Traditions, Music & Coffeehouse, and Marketing.

They are in charge of planning events such the Spring Concert, Fall Fest, the Spot Underground, Open Mic nights, and Live Comedy.