Lehigh University

Private · Selective · PA

Photo: IR393DEME (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads5,898

Student:faculty10:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate79.7%

6-yr grad rate87.9%

Drop-out rate6.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$65k

Out-of-state tuition$65k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity40.3%

Gender diversity48%

International6.5%

Identity—

Overview

Lehigh University is a private research university on a steep, wooded hillside in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, historically built on engineering strength and now equally recognized for business. Founded by Asa Packer, a railroad and steel industrialist, during the Lehigh Valley's industrial rise, it offers a mid-sized, residential experience with the research resources of a larger university but the closer community feel of a smaller one.

Academics

Engineering, housed in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, remains a core strength and historical identity, and the College of Business has grown to rival it, anchored by the integrated business-and-engineering honors program that lets strong students combine both disciplines rather than choosing one. Lehigh's College of Arts and Sciences rounds out a full liberal-arts offering alongside the professional schools, and the university has invested in a dedicated Mountaintop Campus space for interdisciplinary student research and innovation projects outside the standard classroom. Class sizes support meaningful faculty access across all of these programs.

Campus & student life

The hillside campus gives Lehigh a distinctive physical identity, with academic buildings and residences arranged along a steep slope overlooking Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley below. Greek life plays a substantial role in the social scene, and the football rivalry with Lafayette, played annually since the 1880s and recognized as the most-played series in college football history, is a genuine point of campus pride each fall, complete with a week of build-up traditions between the two schools. Bethlehem itself, a former steel town reinventing its identity, gives students a real if modest small-city backdrop beyond campus.

Getting in

Lehigh's process is holistic, with particular attention to applicants pursuing engineering or the integrated business-engineering program, which typically carries a more competitive, program-specific review layered on top of general admission. Strong quantitative preparation matters for these tracks, and demonstrated interest is a meaningful part of the evaluation given Lehigh's private, mid-sized applicant pool; essays that show genuine engagement with a specific college or program tend to be viewed more favorably than generic ones.

After graduation

Engineering and business graduates both have strong placement records, and the dual business-engineering program in particular produces graduates sought after in industries that value both technical and managerial skill sets, including consulting and finance recruiters who specifically target the program. Lehigh's alumni network is close-knit and especially active in engineering, finance, and consulting fields, with a strong presence in the New York and Philadelphia corridors given the university's mid-Atlantic location.

Worth knowing

The Lehigh-Lafayette football rivalry is one of the oldest and most-played in the country and shapes a real chunk of the fall social calendar, and prospective students should know Greek life has a substantial, visible presence in campus social life. The Mountaintop Campus initiative is a distinctive feature worth knowing about for students interested in research or entrepreneurship outside a standard major, giving undergraduates dedicated space to pursue self-directed projects with faculty support.

lehigh.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate25.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1370–1500 · ACT 31–34

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 1

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Coalition (Scoir).

Early decision IIJan 1

Financial aid formsFeb 1

Lehigh offers two binding Early Decision rounds, with Early Decision II sharing its January deadline with Regular Decision.

Interviews: Interviews are not required; they are intended for students with specific questions best addressed individually or who want to add context to their application, and any interview completed is evaluative and becomes part of the application.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗