Lehigh University

www.lehigh.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$56,980

4% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$31,539

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.484%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

46%

14,107 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

7,263

88.2% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

87.3%

1,097 Graduates

About

Lehigh University is a higher education institution located in Northampton County, PA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Lehigh University were General Finance (203 degrees awarded), Computer Science (103 degrees), and Mechanical Engineering (95 degrees).

In 2021, 2,158 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Lehigh University. 50% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 50% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,308 degrees), 8.28 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (158 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Lehigh University is $56,980, which is $27,988 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by Greg Palmer

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Lehigh University is $56,980, which is $27,988 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $31,539.

In 2021, 80% of undergraduate students attending Lehigh University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 36% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$56,980

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Lehigh University was $56,980. The cost of tuition at Lehigh University is $27,988 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Lehigh University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$31,539

2021 Value

8.39%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Lehigh University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $31,539. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Lehigh University grew by 8.39%.

This chart compares the average net price of Lehigh University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$14,740

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Lehigh University was of $14,740 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 4.1% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Lehigh University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

80%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

36%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

80% of undergraduate students at Lehigh University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 53.8% with respect to 2020, when 52% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Lehigh University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.484%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Lehigh University was 0.484%, which represents 4 out of the 827 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Lehigh University received 14,107 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 13.9% annual growth. Out of those 14,107 applicants, 6,485 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 46% acceptance rate.

There were 7,263 students enrolled at Lehigh University in 2021. 36% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Lehigh University has an overall enrollment yield of 23.4%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

46%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

6,485

Accepted Out of 14,107

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Lehigh University was 46% (6,485 admissions from 14,107 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 49.5%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 13.9%, while admissions grew by 5.65%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Lehigh University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

36%

Submission Percentage (2021)

543

Scores Submitted (2021)

36% of enrolled first-time students at Lehigh University in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Lehigh University had a total enrollment of 7,263 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Lehigh University is 6,407 students and the part-time enrollment is 856. This means that 88.2% of students enrolled at Lehigh University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Lehigh University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 59.1% White, 9.09% Hispanic or Latino, 7.99% Asian, 4.27% Black or African American, 2.97% Two or More Races, 0.0964% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0413% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Lehigh University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (32.6%), followed by White Female (28.4%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (5.43%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (19.9%), followed by White Male (19.8%) and Asian Female (2.71%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

88.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Lehigh University in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 7,263 students. The full-time enrollment at Lehigh University is 6,407 and the part-time enrollment is 856. This means that 88.2% of students enrolled at Lehigh University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Lehigh University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

94%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Lehigh University was 94%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Lehigh University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Lehigh University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
4,296 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
660 enrolled students
Asian
580 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Lehigh University is 59.1% White, 9.09% Hispanic or Latino, 7.99% Asian, 4.27% Black or African American, 2.97% Two or More Races, 0.0964% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0413% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 207 students (2.85%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 2 fewer women than men received degrees from Lehigh University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Lehigh University is white (1,308 degrees awarded). There were 8.28 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (158 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Lehigh University is General Finance (203 degrees awarded), followed by Computer Science (103 degrees) and Mechanical Engineering (95 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Lehigh University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Engineering (544 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (62 degrees), and Math & Statistics (54 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Accountants & auditors

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Lehigh University are Accountants & auditors (1,078,296 people), Other managers (1,075,447 people), Software developers (1,054,240 people), Financial managers (514,551 people), and Chief executives & legislators (507,269 people).

The most specialized majors at Lehigh University in 2021 are Engineering (544 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (62 degrees), Math & Statistics (54 degrees), Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (177 degrees), and Business (593 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Podiatrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Lehigh University are Podiatrists, Surgeons, Physicians, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

The most specialized majors at Lehigh University are Engineering (544 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (62 degrees), Math & Statistics (54 degrees), Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (177 degrees), and Business (593 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Computer Systems Design

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Lehigh University are Computer Systems Design (1,459,489 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (720,614 people), Elementary & secondary schools (689,007 people), Construction (647,274 people), and Banking & related activities (599,498 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Lehigh University.

Most Common (2021)

General Finance
203 degree-majors awarded
Computer Science
103 degree-majors awarded
Mechanical Engineering
95 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Lehigh University was General Finance with 203 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Lehigh University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,080

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

1,078

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 1,080 degrees were awarded to men at Lehigh University, which is 1 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,078).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Lehigh University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 134 degrees were awarded to men at Lehigh University in General Finance, which is 1.86 times more than the 72 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 72 degrees were awarded to men at Lehigh University in General Finance, which is 0.537 times less than the 134 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

80%

100% Completion Time

90%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 80% of students graduating from Lehigh University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 90% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 90% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Lehigh University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.46% of graduates (38 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
1,308 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
158 degrees awarded
Asian
134 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Lehigh University is white (1,308 degrees awarded). There were 8.28 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (158 degrees).

3.75% of degree recipients (81 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
681 degrees awarded
White Male
627 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
88 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Lehigh University is white female (681 degrees awarded). There were 1.09 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (627 degrees).

Operations

Lehigh University has an endowment valued at nearly $1.78B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 557M (31.2%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Lehigh University had a total salary expenditure of 391M. Lehigh University employs 193 Professors, 159 Associate professors and 103 Assistant professors. Most academics at Lehigh University are Male Professor (146), Male Associate professor (94), and Female Associate professor (65).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Lehigh University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 229 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 208 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 199 employees.

Endowment

$1.78B

2021 Endowment

30.3%

growth from 2020

Lehigh University has an endowment valued at about $1.78B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Lehigh University grew 30.3% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.4B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Lehigh University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$186M

2021 Salaries

2.29%

growth from 2020

In 2021, Lehigh University paid a median of $186M in salaries, which represents 47.5% of their overall expenditure ($391M) and a 2.29% growth from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$70.1M

Instructional Salaries

555

Number of Employees

In 2021, Lehigh University paid a total of $70.1M to 555 employees working as instructors, which represents 37.8% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

193 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

229 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Lehigh University were Professor with 193 employees, Associate professor with 159 employees, and Assistant professor with 103 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Lehigh University were Business and Financial Operations with 229 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 208 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 199 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Lehigh University was Male Professor with 146 employees, Male Associate professor with 94 employees, and Female Associate professor with 65 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Lehigh University.