“Lawrence is a place that helps young people find themselves and then make the best of what they find.“
– Colleges That Change Lives
Whether on-campus or virtually, we hope you will join us to see campus, meet professors, speak with students, and find out if Lawrence is the place where you’ll shine. See our visit options and learn more here.
711 E Boldt Way SPC 29
Appleton, Wisconsin 54911-5699
920.832.6500
admissions@lawrence.edu
www.lawrence.edu
⋅ 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio
⋅ Average class size: 15
⋅ 63% of last year’s classes were 1-on-1
⋅ Students hail from nearly every state and over 50 countries; 12% international student population.
⋅ 99% of students receive financial assistance.
- Lawrence University offers both a college of liberal arts and conservatory of music.
- Light is spoken of often at Lawrence: Light, illumination, shining, brilliance. The concept comes from the motto on the University seal: Light! More Light! Veritas est lux (Truth is light). Lawrence believes students have something great to offer the world and wants to help them find it and make it shine. It is committed to challenging and illuminating educational experiences that give its 1500 students the knowledge and tools to light their path and impact the world.
- Whether you choose an area of study in our nationally ranked college or world-renowned conservatory, you’ll learn by doing, though research, travel, and professional experience all in a personal setting.
- The Lawrence experience is infused by a culture of art, performance, and exploration. On any given day, you can do things like field work with your professors, perform in award-winning opera productions, walk a riverside nature trail, hear a Pulitzer Prize-winning author speak, implement sustainable practices in the SLUG garden, join friends for the longest trivia contest in the world, and so much more.
- Lawrence’s picturesque campus is nestled on the banks of the Fox River and is adjacent to a vibrant downtown featuring shops, restaurants, museums, performing and public art spaces, as well as festivals throughout the year.
- Lawrence University’s world-class conservatory of music emphasizes 21st-century musicianship skills. It also offers opportunities for non-Conservatory students to join ensembles and stages hundreds of performances throughout the year.
- Lawrence believes that academic performance in school is the best indicator of a student’s academic potential in college. This is why it is test optional, allowing you to choose whether or not you will submit your ACT and/or SAT results for admission review.
- Lawrence’s Honor Code creates an academic and social environment that values cooperation over competition. At Lawrence, when you complete any assignment or test, you’ll reaffirm this Honor Code. The Honor Code works so well that professors will often give take-home exams with the simple instructions: “Don’t use your notes or books. Take an hour to answer the questions. Bring it back next week.” You can do your work in the comfort of your own room, along the Fox River, at the coffee shop — wherever. We trust you.
- Explore your interests more deeply by taking advantage of almost limitless opportunities for engaged learning through one-on-one tutorials, independent study, honors projects and studio lessons. Last year, nearly two-thirds of our classes had a total enrollment of just one student.
- Receive funding to pursue your passions and academic interests. Lawrence invests in you, offering a range of grants including $4,000 individual research grants, up to $3,000 for sustainability projects, grants to present research at professional conferences, support volunteer initiatives, support summer internships and more.
- Björklunden, a 441-acre estate located on the shores of Lake Michigan in beautiful Door County, lets students explore nature, take part in language immersion opportunities, practice meditation and mindfulness, take part in team bonding weekends, or just get away to practice, study, reflect, or have fun.
- All classes, including introductory courses, are taught by faculty members, 97% of whom hold the most advanced degree in their field.
- We teach about 2,100 courses, nearly two-thirds of which have total enrollments of one.
- With an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, the closeness of the faculty-student relationship is one of the hallmarks of the Lawrence experience. Students work on major research projects with faculty members, finding undiscovered archaeological sites, handling first editions of masterworks like Pride and Prejudice, or studying the nature of light itself in the “Laser Palace.” At the Conservatory, you learn from Grammy-winning artists in one-on-one lessons and perform as colleagues on stages nationwide.
- Lawrence offers off-campus study opportunity at London Centre, located in the heart of the Bloomsbury neighborhood. Opportunities at London Centre include coursework in multiple disciplines as well as opportunities to intern in fields from government to historic preservation to publishing in this bustling European capital.
- Students can take advantage of countless study abroad opportunities on every continent. Lawrence is committed to offering every student the opportunity to study abroad, which is why all financial aid awards apply to off-campus study programs.
Majors, Minors & Areas of Emphasis
Anthropology
Archaeology ^
Biological Anthropology ^
Art
Art History
Studio Art
Biochemistry
Biology
Biomedical Ethics
Business & Entrepreneurship
Chemistry
Chinese
Classics
Cognitive Science
Computer Science
East Asian Studies
Economics
Education
Engineering *
English
Creative Writing ^
Environmental Studies
Ethnic Studies
Film Studies
Forestry *
French
Francophone Studies
Gender Studies
Geology
German
Global Studies
Government
Political Science ^
International Relations ^
Greek
History
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Japanese
Latin
Latin American Studies
Linguistics
Mathematics
Music
Natural Sciences
Neuroscience
Occupational Therapy *
Philosophy
Physics
Psychology
Religious Studies
Russian
Spanish
Statistics and Data Science^
Theatre
Italics denotes minor only
* denotes 3-2 program
^ denotes area of emphasis
Lawrence also offers cooperative degree programs:
Engineering
Forestry and Environmental Studies
Occupational Studies
- Lawrence’s 1,500 students come from nearly every state and more than 50 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 1,500 students, Lawrence is small enough to feel close-knit but large enough to offer you more opportunities to shine than you could ever exhaust. And our rich campus culture, informed by academics, athletics, and the arts, inspires creativity across all endeavors.
- Students can join more than 150 student groups and activities, including Lawrence International, Outdoor Recreation Club, Swing Dance Club, Cultural Food Club, Model UN, and Slam Poetry Club, or share their time and talents through 10,000+ volunteer service hours with nearly 150 organizations in the Appleton community each year.
- Take a virtual tour of Lawrence University here!
24 varsity sports in the NCAA Division III Midwest Conference:
Baseball (Men)
Basketball
Cross Country
Fencing
Football (Men)
Hockey
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball (Women)
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball (Women)
- Lawrence graduates continue to succeed. In their first year after graduation, about 73% are working in an array of professional fields all over the world, including such places as Apple, Facebook, Google, Hiroshima Prefectural Government, Baltimore City Public Schools, Mediterranean Center for Arts & Sciences (Italy), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Peace Corps, and Humana. Our music education majors who have chosen to teach music after college have traditionally enjoyed a 100 percent placement rate.
- Well beyond that first year, however, the news continues to be strong: a national survey by PayScale puts Lawrence University’s mid-career salaries among the top-tier of liberal arts college graduates.
- For those not working right out of college, about 22% are attending graduate, medical and law school right after graduation at such places as Georgetown University, Mayo College of Medicine, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin, Yale University, and Boston College Law School.
- Every year, a significant number of Lawrence graduates successfully attain Fulbright Scholarships and Watson Fellowships. The rest of our graduates are pursuing meaningful internships and travel.
- Middle 50% ACT composite scores: 25-32*
- Middle 50% SAT composite scores: 1790-2130*
- Average Unweighted GPA: 3.61
- Rank in top ten percent of class: 38%
*Lawrence University does not require standardized tests for admission or scholarship. The score ranges shown reflect those of the three-quarters of our new students who submitted them with their applications.