In my opinion… 

Lehigh is the perfect size for someone who wants a liberal arts approach but also the opportunities of a top-level research institution with multiple ABET-certified engineering programs. It’s big enough to offer big-school opportunities yet small enough to provide individual attention.

Research opportunities in a mid-sized setting

Lehigh University has an undergraduate population of just under 6,000 students, yet it has the R1 classification for its high level of research. It combines liberal arts and engineering in the South Mountain town of Bethlehem, PA.

Campus life and community values

The revitalized student center gleams. It contains dining options and rooms for community gatherings. Our group of about 50 independent educational consultants had coffee and cookies (brown and white in homage to Lehigh’s colors) in a gorgeous space on the top floor that looked out over the hilly campus.

Suzanne Schafer, associate director of admissions, told us that Lehigh has a collaborative culture, that students are smart but not arrogant or competitive. “There are no sharp elbows,” she said. Students are “confident but humble.”

Lehigh is looking for “bright, curious students who check their egos at the door,” said Schafer. You should want to work collaboratively and believe that “together we can go farther.” The town of Bethlehem has blue collar roots, and the ethos of rolling up sleeves to get it down pervades the campus.

Academic structure and interdisciplinary options

Lehigh comprises four undergraduate colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Health, and Engineering and Applied Sciences. You apply to one of those four colleges. However, they’re looking for a small cohort to start Explore Lehigh, where you’ll be admitted to all four colleges and then choose one after your first semester.

Whether you’re admitted to Arts and Sciences, Business, Health, or Engineering, you’ll choose your major at the end of your sophomore year. Engineering students begin with a year of exploration and exposure to the different fields.

Even though you do apply to a specific college, you have the opportunity to work interdisciplinarily; in fact, Lehigh offers four intercollegiate degree programs: Computer Science and Business; Integrated Business and Engineering; Integrated Business and Health; and Integrated Engineering, Arts and Sciences. Lehigh also offers dual degree/accelerated programs.

In addition, Lehigh offers pre-professional tracks for allied health, dental, law, medical, and veterinary programs.

Standout programs across colleges

Some interesting majors in the College of Arts and Sciences:

• Architecture
• Design
• Health, Medicine & Society
• Joint International Relations/Economics
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Statistics and Data Science

Some interesting majors of seven in the College of Business:

• Business Analytics
• Finance
• Supply Chain Management

The College of Health offers three degrees (not nursing):

• Biostatistics & Health Data Science
• Community & Global Health
• Population Health

The College of Engineering and Applied Science offers these interesting majors among 13 available:

• Bioengineering
• Computer Engineering
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Industrial & Systems Engineering

Students as early as freshman year can perform research with faculty mentors in any field, even architecture and business.

Beyond academics: Athletics and extracurriculars

Lehigh has 25 NCAA Division I sports and played against Duke in March Madness (Duke went on to the Final Four). Basketball is one of 25 NCAA Division I sports at this school.

It’s not all academics and athletics at Lehigh—91% participate in at least one extracurricular activity. One fun activity involves a competition among residences: bed racing. Well, they’re no longer racing real beds down the steep hillside. Now they race go-carts made to look like beds, and they push them across the hillside instead of downhill. That’s part of the school spirit you can find at Lehigh. You can also find that spirit aimed at their arch-rival, Lafayette. The yearly football game is the highlight of the season at both schools.

Admission insights and demonstrated interest

When you apply to Lehigh, which is still test optional, pay close attention to their “Why Lehigh” prompt. Why do you want to study this particular major at this university? Demonstrated interest counts.

Applications to Lehigh rose 57% over the past five years, making admission more selective. For the class graduating high school in 2025, Lehigh accepted 27%, down from 29% the year before. If you’re sure that Lehigh is your number one choice and you don’t need to compare financial awards from other schools, applying Early Decision 1 or 2 can improve your odds. They also give consideration to legacies, though it won’t help you if you aren’t already qualified.

Engineering and business students should have at least pre-calculus on their high school transcript; most applicants to those colleges have taken calculus.

Lehigh reviews your transcript, looking for good grades in hard classes.

Financial considerations and accessibility

Though Lehigh strives to meet 100% of demonstrated need, only 20% of applicants receive merit aid. The projected cost of attendance for 2025-26 is $86,100 for tuition, housing, meals, and fees. Under the Lehigh Commitment, 100% of students from families with a total income of less than $75,000 are eligible for a full tuition grant.US News & World Report gave Lehigh a rank of 15 for return on investment, or ROI. With a commitment to being accessible to all (there’s an Office of Inclusive Belonging), Lehigh enrolled 31% of the entering class from underrepresented populations; 18% of the class are first-generation students.