Lawrence University

Admission to Lawrence University is moderately selective, with acceptance rates that run somewhat higher than peer institutions. In 2025, the college admitted 63.9% of its applicant pool. In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Lawrence placed 68th, having drifted from 56th in 2019 and a low of 75th in 2024. Once admitted, however, relatively few prospective students follow through to matriculation. The yield rate stood at 16.8% in 2025, which shows that roughly one in six admitted applicants actually chooses to enroll. This modest yield suggests that many admitted applicants consider Lawrence alongside multiple other competing choices during their college decision process. For prospective applicants, these patterns indicate accessible entry requirements relative to other top-tier liberal arts institutions, though maintaining solid academic credentials remains necessary to secure an offer of admission.

Prospective applicants to Lawrence University need solid academic foundations, though standardized testing is only one piece of the evaluation. For the class entering in 2025, the median SAT score was 1350, which was higher than 63% of peer institutions among similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. On the ACT, middle-range composite scores spanned from 24 to 31. A minority of applicants chose to submit standardized exam results, with most choosing test-optional pathways. High school academic achievement remains rigorous: during the 2023–2024 cycle, nearly a quarter of incoming students achieved a top grade point average, with the vast majority maintaining honors-level classroom records. Prospective candidates should therefore concentrate primarily on building a consistent record of challenging coursework and strong grades.

Academics at Lawrence University focus entirely on undergraduate learning, with degrees spread broadly across artistic and liberal arts disciplines. In 2025, the college awarded 387 bachelor's degrees. Degrees are not concentrated in just a few fields, with the three largest disciplines accounting for 27.1% of all graduates. The single largest program was Music Performance, General, which produced 42 graduates, followed by Psychology, General and Business/Commerce, General. Lawrence does not have programs appearing on national major ranking lists, so its largest programs do not carry formal specialty ranks. In terms of early-career compensation, federal figures from 2023 indicate that Psychology, General graduates earned median earnings of $36,932 one year after completing their studies, while English Language and Literature and Music graduates posted similar median starting salaries. For incoming students, the curriculum offers balanced options in the humanities, social sciences, and performing arts without being overshadowed by pre-professional programs.

Lawrence University maintains a compact student body of 1,417 undergraduates in 2025, where international students maintain a visible presence while Asian representation remains comparatively low. Among the incoming first-year class, international students numbered 39, accounting for 11.1% of the group. In contrast, Asian students made up a much smaller segment of entering freshmen, with 5 students representing 1.4% of the cohort. Returning undergraduate classes reflect a similar pattern, with international students making up just over one-tenth of students while Asian students remain a single-digit minority. White students constitute the majority across all cohorts, with Hispanic and Black students making up other demographic groups on campus. For applicants considering the campus community, these enrollment numbers highlight an institution that brings in a steady proportion of international students each year, but where Asian students remain a relatively small presence.

The undergraduate population at Lawrence University consists almost entirely of traditional college-age students. In 2025, out of 1,417 total undergraduates, the 18-to-19 age bracket accounted for 42.1% of the student body, while students aged 20 to 21 made up 41.9%. Older undergraduates aged 22 to 24 formed a much smaller group, and the university enrolls no graduate students. This heavy concentration of students between 18 and 21 years old shapes daily campus life, centering social activities, dining, and extracurricular organizations around young adults progressing through their four undergraduate years together. For incoming freshmen, this profile guarantees an environment where peers share similar life stages and developmental transitions.

International enrollment at Lawrence University represents a stable presence among the student body. In 2025, international students made up 11.2% of total undergraduate enrollment. This proportion is higher than 70% of peer institutions in a comparison group of 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. Because Lawrence does not offer graduate degrees, all international enrollment is focused exclusively at the undergraduate level. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students earned 12.7% of all bachelor's degrees awarded. Rather than dispersing evenly, international graduates showed distinct academic concentrations. For instance, international students accounted for 20.8% of graduates in Biochemistry, along with substantial representation in business and psychology. By contrast, traditional liberal arts and performance areas such as music and biology saw far fewer international degree recipients. For prospective overseas applicants, these metrics indicate an established international cohort with distinct academic communities in quantitative and scientific fields.

Families exploring higher education options in Wisconsin and the surrounding Upper Midwest have several contrasting choices within two to three hours of Lawrence University. In Mequon, Concordia University-Wisconsin is a private national university ranked 299th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings, located approximately 74 kilometers to the south. Further south in Milwaukee, Marquette University provides a mid-sized private national university setting and ranks 90th, situated about 88 kilometers away. In Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison sits roughly 96 kilometers southwest as the state's flagship public research university, holding the 34th position nationally. Meanwhile, Beloit College, located about 126 kilometers south near the Illinois border, offers a fellow private liberal arts college environment and ranks 100th in the national liberal arts category.

Campus safety records at Lawrence University show that the majority of reported infractions stem from internal conduct violations rather than external crime. In 2025, the school recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 25.3. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the highest category totals involved substance policy enforcement, led by 68 disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations and 42 disciplinary referrals for drug violations. More serious personal safety issues also occurred during this three-year window, including 19 incidents of dating violence alongside reports of rape and sexual harassment. The data suggest that day-to-day security is primarily characterized by the enforcement of residential alcohol and drug regulations, though interpersonal safety concerns still require vigilance from students. Families evaluating campus life should note that while substance violations make up the largest share of reports, ongoing attention to personal safety remains necessary.