Lehigh University

Lehigh is selective but not in the single-digit tier — it admitted about 29% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 5,600 of more than 19,300 applicants and enrolling about 1,535 first-years. Lehigh reads applications holistically, weighing the rigor of your course load and academic GPA as very important factors alongside test scores, essays, and recommendations.

Applying Early Decision improves your odds at Lehigh: the binding ED I and ED II rounds together drew about 2,040 applications and admitted 966, an early admit rate near 47% versus the 29% overall rate. Lehigh weighs an applicant's level of interest as an important factor, so committing through binding ED can strengthen a competitive application.

A 1450 is competitive at Lehigh — it sits comfortably within the middle-50% SAT range of 1380 to 1480 for enrolled first-years who submitted scores, just above the median of 1430. The equivalent ACT middle 50% is 31 to 34, and there is no fixed cutoff since Lehigh is test-optional and reviews applications holistically.

Lehigh does not publish an average high school GPA, but enrolled first-years cluster near the top of their classes — among the roughly 23% who reported a class rank, about 60% ranked in the top tenth and roughly 87% in the top quarter of their graduating class. Both academic GPA and the rigor of your coursework are weighed as very important admission factors.

No — Lehigh is test-optional, so you may apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Among enrolled first-years who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1380 to 1480 on the SAT and 31 to 34 on the ACT, with about a third submitting the SAT and roughly a tenth the ACT.

Tuition and required fees run about $70,590 a year, with on-campus food and housing adding roughly $19,230 before books and personal expenses. Lehigh meets about 97% of demonstrated financial need: roughly 44% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, and the average need-based grant is near $57,846.

Business is the single most-conferred field at about 28% of bachelor's degrees, followed by engineering at roughly 20% and computer and information sciences at about 11%. The social sciences, psychology, and the biological sciences round out the most popular programs, reflecting Lehigh's blend of professional and liberal-arts study.

Yes — Lehigh rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review, on par with recommendations, extracurriculars, and demonstrated interest. With an admit rate near 29% and many academically strong applicants, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways to stand out.

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