Lawrence University

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank Category Name #56 National Liberal Arts Colleges

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Summary

Lawrence University is a private institution that was founded in 1847. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,496, its setting is city, and the campus size is 84 acres. It utilizes a trimester-based academic calendar. Lawrence University's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 56. Its tuition and fees are $40,023 (2012-13).

Lawrence University, based in Appleton, Wis., is a liberal arts school with a conservatory of music. About a quarter of the student body completes degrees at the conservatory. Lawrence University is a test-optional university and about a quarter of applicants opt not to submit SAT or ACT scores when they apply. At the university, there are more than 75 student clubs and organizations to check out, as well as Division III sports teams that compete in the NCAA’s Midwest Conference. All students—freshmen through seniors—must live on campus, whether in dorms, suites, quads, or university-owned houses.

The school has another campus on Lake Michigan, known as Björklunden Vid Sjön, where students can travel for retreats and seminars, as well as a center in London. Lawrence University does not offer any graduate degree programs. Notable alumni of Lawrence University include Tom Oreck, president and CEO of vacuum cleaner manufacturing company Oreck Corp., and Terry Moran, coanchor of ABC’s news program Nightline.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Mission: Lawrence University of Wisconsin, through its undergraduate college and Conservatory of Music, educates men and women in the liberal arts and sciences. Committed to the development of intellect and talent, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the cultivation of judgment and values, Lawrence prepares students for lives of service, achievement, leadership and personal fulfillment. Purposes: Charting an uncommon course in higher education for more than 160 years, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a conservatory of music, the only institution in the country that devotes both exclusively to undergraduate education. Lawrence is proud to be included in Loren Pope's book,"Colleges That Change Lives." Individualized learning (two-thirds of Lawrence's courses have total enrollments of one), community engagement and the development of multiple interests are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence's students come from nearly every state and more than 38 countries to enjoy the distinctive benefits of this engaged--and engaging--community. It's a close-knit, residential, 24/7 campus filled with smart, talented and interesting people who are pursuing an astonishing variety of academic and extracurricular interests. With 9 percent of its students and 5 percent of its faculty coming from outside the United States, Lawrence is one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the country. Its picturesque, residential campus is nestled on the banks of the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin, (metro population: 200,000), one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the Midwest. Bjorklunden, the university's 425-acre estate on more than one mile of pristine Lake Michigan shoreline (two hours north of campus), provides educational and recreational opportunities for students to enhance their on-campus learning experiences. Lawrence offers the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and combined, five-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music degrees.

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1847
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	trimester
Setting	city
2011 Endowment	$214,650,801

Applying

When applying to Lawrence University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early action deadline and the early decision deadline are December 1 and November 15, respectively. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Lawrence University is $40. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 52.7 percent and an early acceptance rate of 67.5 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2011 acceptance rate	52.7%
Application deadline	January 15
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	February 15

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Lawrence University is 8:1, and the school has 74.9 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Lawrence University include: Music; Biology, General; Psychology, General; Political Science and Government; and English Language and Literature, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 88.5 percent.

Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio	8:1
4-year graduation rate	60
Five most popular majors for 2011 graduates
Music 14% Biology, General 11% Psychology, General 10% Political Science and Government 8% English Language and Literature, General 7%

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Student Life

Lawrence University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,496, with a gender distribution of 45.8 percent male students and 54.2 percent female students. At this school, 98.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 2.0 percent of students live off campus. Lawrence University is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.

Total enrollment	1,496
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA III

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Campus Info & Services

Lawrence University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Lawrence University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Lawrence University, 19 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Lawrence University.

Students who have cars on campus	19%
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At Lawrence University, 60.7 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $23,207.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Tuition and fees	$40,023 (2012-13)
Room and board	$8,247 (2012-13)
Financial aid statistics

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* Overview details based on 2011 data