R2 ResearchPrivate nonprofit

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·lehigh.edu
6-yr Graduation
88%
+6.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
7,692
peer median 8,354
Avg net price
$33,549
-$4.2k vs R2 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
20,396
20,396 candidates competed
Admitted
5,289
25.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,501
28.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
88%+6.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
80%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
88%
Full-time retention
94%

Pell equity

4.0pp gap
Pell recipients
84%
Non-Pell
88%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 137 Title IV programs, 32 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 105 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
137
Passing
32
23.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

137programs
  • Passing32 · 23.4%
  • No Data105 · 76.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
31
No data
105

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

32
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+20.1%
$55,728 vs $46,391
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+33.0%
$61,708 vs $46,391
Engineering-Related Fields
Master's Degree · Engineering Technologies/Technicians
+43.5%
$86,268 vs $60,112
Civil Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
+53.3%
$92,139 vs $60,112
Electrical Electronics and Communications Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
+77.6%
$106,767 vs $60,112
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+83.3%
$85,017 vs $46,391
Industrial Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
+99.7%
$120,033 vs $60,112
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+105.3%
$71,474 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

24
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
45%
$25,000 debt · $55,728 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
33%
$25,125 debt · $75,611 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
31%
$23,095 debt · $74,939 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
31%
$21,911 debt · $71,474 earn
International Relations and National Security Studies
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
31%
$24,250 debt · $79,569 earn
Civil Engineering
Bachelor Degree · Engineering
28%
$25,552 debt · $91,856 earn
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies General
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
27%
$24,984 debt · $91,697 earn
Materials Engineering
Bachelor Degree · Engineering
27%
$26,000 debt · $97,904 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1921Next review Nov 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 5

  1. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (RPSY) - Postdoctoral residency programs
  2. Jul 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  3. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  4. Apr 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  5. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation · Theatre (THEA) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$15,440
$30–48k$19,398
$48–75k$19,495
$75–110k$30,179
$110k+$50,046

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$33,549
-$4,174vs R2 Research median $37,723
Federal loans
37.5%
In-state tuition
$62,180
Out-of-state
$62,180

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,275 students received $8.0M in Pell grants, alongside $25.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,275
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$8.0M
$7,975,048 total
Direct Loans
$25.9M
3,651 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$6.3M
1,481 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.7M
1,647 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.9M
147 loan awards
Parent PLUS$11.7M
353 loan awards
Grad PLUS$285K
23 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 827 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (0.4%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.4%
-1.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
827
Defaulted
4
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.4%
2017
2.3%
2018
0.7%
2019
0.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Lehigh

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs122
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,882 total completions
01Business
54228.8%
02Engineering
46824.9%
03Computer Sciences
19010.1%
04Multi/Interdisciplinary
1377.3%
05Biological Sciences
1276.7%
06Psychology
1156.1%
07Social Sciences
1055.6%
08Education
874.6%
09Health Professions
563.0%
10Physical Sciences
552.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
7,692
12-mo unduplicated
8,067
Undergraduate
6,031
Graduate
2,036

Gender split

Men
52%4,178
Women
48%3,889

Race / ethnicity composition

White
58.8%
Hispanic
10.9%
Asian
10.8%
Non-resident
7.5%
Black
5.1%
Two or more
4.3%
Unknown
2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
646
366 M · 280 W
Women athletes
43.3%
Athletic aid
$15.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$42.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$8.3M
$6.9M
Recruiting expense
$420K
$187K
Head-coach salaries
$112K
$72K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
121 M · 132 W
$1.8M
Football
93 M ·
$6.7M
Lacrosse
50 M · 32 W
$3.2M
Soccer
28 M · 33 W
$2.2M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
19 M · 26 W
$987K
Wrestling
45 M ·
$2.1M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.76
13 offenses · 7,394 students

3-year trend

2.972 yrs ago1.241 yr ago1.76Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
43
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
10
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
3
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
5

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
6
Rape
4
Fondling
1
Aggravated assault
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

13total
  • On campus9
  • Non-campus3
  • Public property1

Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
3
Stalking
8 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons02
Drugs257
Liquor5248

Residence-hall fires

  • Beardslee House (Cent II)1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Farrington Sq Residence Hall C1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
10.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
593

Lehigh vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Lehigh selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectLehigh University
88%7,692$33,549R2 Research
Duquesne University
77%83.6%8,234$34,978R2 Research
Thomas Jefferson University
69%81.0%8,238$28,163R2 Research
Villanova University
92%27.0%10,041$44,876R2 Research
Stevens Institute of Technology
87%47.6%8,469$40,468R2 Research
The New School
69%63.5%9,068$55,359R2 Research
Peer group median82%63.5%8,354$37,723

Frequently asked questions about Lehigh University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Lehigh.

What is the graduation rate at Lehigh University?

Lehigh University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 88% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Lehigh University?

Lehigh University reports a total enrollment of 7,692 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Lehigh University?

The average net price at Lehigh University is $33,549 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Lehigh University?

Lehigh University's yield rate is 28.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Lehigh University located?

Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015.

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