Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
Left side. Right side. Lawrence has your brain covered.
Lawrence provides a quality education, outstanding faculty, close faculty-student collaboration, and a tradition of excellence in music and the arts. It is unmatched by any other college of its size.
Get to know Lawrence University
College Highlights
An education at Lawrence combines both mind and spirit. Students participate in retreats and seminars at the idyllic 425-acre estate on Lake Michigan, Bjorklunden vid Sjon (Birch Forest by the Water).
LIBERAL LEARNING 101
The heart of the Lawrence program is teaching students to “learn to learn.” Faculty help students to understand contexts, learn problem-posing and problem-solving skills, and develop the ability to communicate both orally and in writing. Rather than major in business, for example, Lawrence students acquire the strategies and abilities that will allow them to efficiently address problems that they will encounter in business. For practical experience, Lawrence encourages students to pursue internships.
INDIVIDUALLY EDUCATED
After building a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, students at Lawrence have extraordinary opportunities for individualized learning. Nearly 90% of its students take at least one course in which they are the only students in the class.
INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES
Interdisciplinary studies allow students to cross the boundaries of their majors’ departments and look at issues from different perspectives. Areas of exploration include biomedical ethics, cognitive science, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, international studies, linguistics, and neuroscience.
STUDY ABROAD
Lawrence offers a wide variety of off-campus study programs both across the United States and around the world. More than half its students study abroad before they graduate. Lawrence students study abroad on every continent but Antartica. There’s something for everyone to explore, for Lawrence offers programs in Tanzania, Hungary, Italy, and many more.
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 12%
Hispanic/Latinx: 11%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 6%
White, non-Hispanic: 59%
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 6%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 0%
With 99% of its faculty holding a PhD. or the highest degrees in their fields, Lawrence offers its students excellent teaching. This school is proud of its 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, small classes, and lots of individual attention for its students.
PROFESSORS PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH.
Lawrence prepares students for lives of service, achievement, leadership, and personal fulfillment. Professors are committed to granting students the development of intellect and talent, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the cultivation of judgment and values.
FIRST-YEAR STUDY
Freshman studies is Lawrence’s introduction to liberal learning. It gives new students the chance to test new ideas and build an intellectual foundation not just for college, but for life. A part of the Lawrence curriculum since 1945, this program brings groups of fifteen students together for two-term, seminar-style courses on common topics from Hamlet to contemporary film. Faculty stretch outside their disciplines—biology professors teach Shakespeare, while English professors teach about “selfish genes.” One of the nation’s most distinctive programs for first-year students, the program pushes students to increase their reading, writing, and speaking skills as they are introduced to the kind of cross-disciplinary intellectual inquiry that is the core of Lawrence’s academic program.
ESTEEMED PROFESSORS
Faculty credentials in the Lawrence Conservatory are first-rate. Professors have performed nationally and internationally with the Atlanta and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony, the Boston and Cincinnati Pops, and more. However, they never lose sight of their main goal: to dedicate themselves to the musical, intellectual, and personal growth of their undergraduate students.
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
Students enjoy individual attention with a student-to-faculty ratio of nine to one and an average class size of fifteen students. They are virtually guaranteed personal attention as they work toward goals in their 30+ majors. Among Lawrence’s most popular programs are biology, psychology, music performance, and English.
The classroom is only the beginning of the Lawrence experience. Each year at least half of the student body commits to volunteer projects in the community.
A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD
Lawrence is located in the heart of Appleton, Wisconsin, in one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation. Downtown Appleton offers an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, coffeehouses, museums, parks, and a new 2,100-seat performing arts center.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
One of the key components of a Lawrence education is involvement with the community. LARY (Lawrence Assistance Reaching Youth) links university students with local schools to tutor at-risk children in a variety of subjects. Many music students, particularly those majoring in music education, mentor pre-college students in music.
Lawrence students also volunteer in a wide range of other projects, including the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Oxfam America, Project Home, and the Fox Valley Special Olympics.
THE UNIVERSITY CONVOCATION SERIES
The University Convocation Series, open to the Lawrence and Appleton communities, is a long-standing tradition that brings the entire campus community together up to four times a year to learn about and discuss issues. Past speakers have included Abigail Disney, Terry Moran, Joyce Carol Oates, Salman Rushdie, David Sedaris, Maya Angelou, Elie Wiesel, and Lech Walesa.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
At Lawrence, student participation in activities like athletics and music are viewed as important components of co-curricular learning. Extracurricular activities are taken seriously. The men’s basketball team went undefeated last year, and the music program offers concert series that regularly bring major-league musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin, to campus. In addition, Lawrence students belong to many other groups and organizations; lately, swing dance has been popular.
BEAUTIFUL EDUCATIONAL RETREATS
The university also offers a 425-acre estate on Lake Michigan for educational retreats. Björklunden was bequeathed to Lawrence University by Donald and Winifred Boynton of Highland Park, Illinois, with the understanding that it would be preserved as a place of peace and contemplation. Throughout the academic year, students expand their minds in a magnificent setting with a wide variety of study issues. Each year, Björklunden hosts more than one thousand students in over fifty seminars.
Admission
TEST SCORES
Optional
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 600 | 75th Percentile: 700
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 590 | 75th Percentile: 710
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 26 | 75th Percentile: 32
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 25 | 75th Percentile: 30
ACT English
25th Percentile: 25 | 75th Percentile: 34
Tuition & Cost
Tuition: $50,658
Fees: $300
Room: $5,652
Board: $5,325
Contact Lawrence University
Contact Admissions
www.lawrence.edu/admissions-aid
(800) 227-0982
admissions@lawrence.edu
Campus Location
711 E. Boldt Way
Appleton, WI 54911
(920) 832-7000
Visit Lawrence University Online