Private nonprofit · University

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania · Small city

#4 for grad earnings in Pennsylvania
25.9%
Admit rate
$36,931
Avg net price
88%
Graduation rate
$105,584
Median earnings

Lehigh University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (small city setting), enrolling 5,898 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 5,898 undergradsSmall cityVery selective · 26% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Patriot LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Lehigh University's admitted students.

Admit rate
25.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1370–1500
Avg GPA (est.)
3.98

Enter a test score to see where you land against Lehigh University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Lehigh University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. On April 2, 1741, William Allen, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant and political figure, who later founded the city of Allentown, deeded 500 acres (200 ha) along the banks of the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River to the Moravian Church. Bethlehem has a long historical relationship with the celebration of Christmas, which is prominently celebrated in the city annually. The city was christened as Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1741 by Nicolaus Zinzendorf, a Moravian bishop. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
6 miles to Allentown, PA
To the ocean
45 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)

How Lehigh University compares

Selectivity25.9%

More selective than 94% · #6 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1440

Higher than 93%

Graduation rate88%

Higher than 95% · #7 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention94%

Higher than 91%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$105,584

Higher than 99% · #4 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$36,931

Cheaper than 7% · #104 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$21,960

Lower than 60%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment5,898

Larger than 80%

Percentiles compare Lehigh University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Lehigh University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

7,679students
  • Undergraduate5,89877%
  • Graduate1,78123%

Undergraduates by gender

5,898undergrads
  • Women2,63945%
  • Men3,25955%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White60%
  • Black5.0%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian11%
  • Other or multiracial14%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,898
Graduate enrollment
1,781
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
17%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$90,738
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$136,971
Endowment
$1,872,716,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,531 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania24%
  • Other U.S. states71%
  • International5.9%

A national draw — only 23% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 70% arrive from other states.

6% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
25.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1370–1500
SAT average
1440
SAT reading
680–730
SAT math
690–770
ACT composite
31–34
Average GPA (estimated)
3.98

Cost

In-state tuition
$64,980
Room & board
$17,220
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$80,856
Average net price
$36,931

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
88%
Graduated on time (4 years)
80%
First-year retention
94%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$88,810
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$105,584
Median debt at graduation
$21,960
Students with federal loans
37%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
87%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
80%
Low-income (Pell)
81%
First-generation
79%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,021
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
51%
Housing charge (year)
$9,680
Meal plan (year)
$6,790
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Patriot League
Varsity athletes
843 (482 men · 361 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)304
Football98
Lacrosse86
Soccer59
Swimming and Diving (combined)45
Baseball43
Wrestling40
Rowing38
Basketball29
Field Hockey25
Tennis21
Golf19
Softball18
Volleyball18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
12
Property offenses (2022–2024)
17

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (7,692 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

9.7reported offenses a year
4.0 violent a year5.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
5.7
Rape
3.3
Fondling
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$16,917
$30–48k
$17,140
$48–75k
$18,722
$75–110k
$22,184
$110k+
$48,751

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$77,520

$18,722/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

56%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$43,478
average award, among those who get one

Lehigh University discounts heavily: 56% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $43,478. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,511 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$105,584
Typical debt at graduation
$21,960
Debt vs. one year's pay
21%
Out-earn a HS grad
88%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$104,662
Men
$106,296

Men out-earn women by $1,634 (2%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
47.4″
Annual snow
33.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Allentown Intl AP, PA US station (4.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Lehigh University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lehigh University side by side →

Colleges near Lehigh University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.