Lehigh University

Lehigh University logo
#476 / #146
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#89
Most Desirable School
University in Pennsylvania

Lehigh University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#146
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
26%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$67,920
Graduation rate
85%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
5,898

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Lehigh University Featured Rankings

About Lehigh University

According to Wikipedia, Lehigh University is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was initially affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been coeducational since the 1971–72 academic year. , the university had 5,047 undergraduate students and 1,802 graduate students.

Lehigh University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
18,41526%94%85%143532

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Lehigh University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$67,920
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$14,290
30K - 48K$13,708
48K - 75K$19,587
75K - 110K$20,869
110K+$36,233

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Lehigh University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Lehigh University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $116,342 a year, and 96% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Lehigh University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
8,0676,0312,036

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Lehigh University?

Lehigh University is located at 27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015.

How Safe is Lehigh University?

Relative to its enrollment, Lehigh University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.10%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).

What Is Lehigh University Known For?

Lehigh University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Lehigh University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Lehigh University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Engineering
#222
World Rank
#241
Historical Rank
#62
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #62 in the U.S. and #222 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Mathematics
#243
World Rank
#277
Historical Rank
#62
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #62 in the U.S. and #243 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Philosophy
#251
World Rank
#290
Historical Rank
#78
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #78 in the U.S. and #251 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Physics
#398
World Rank
#426
Historical Rank
#96
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #96 in the U.S. and #398 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Chemistry
#480
World Rank
#503
Historical Rank
#108
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #108 in the U.S. and #480 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Earth Sciences
#448
World Rank
#371
Historical Rank
#115
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #115 in the U.S. and #448 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.

earth-science Degrees
Computer Science
#486
World Rank
#487
Historical Rank
#134
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #134 in the U.S. and #486 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Business
#407
World Rank
#408
Historical Rank
#139
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #139 in the U.S. and #407 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Economics
#696
World Rank
#709
Historical Rank
#160
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #160 in the U.S. and #696 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Education
#655
World Rank
#658
Historical Rank
#173
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #173 in the U.S. and #655 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Sociology
#629
World Rank
#643
Historical Rank
#174
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #174 in the U.S. and #629 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Biology
#623
World Rank
#652
Historical Rank
#180
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #180 in the U.S. and #623 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Psychology
#445
World Rank
#463
Historical Rank
#186
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #186 in the U.S. and #445 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
History
#593
World Rank
#608
Historical Rank
#208
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #208 in the U.S. and #593 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Political Science
#855
World Rank
#861
Historical Rank
#216
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #216 in the U.S. and #855 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Communications
#786
World Rank
#703
Historical Rank
#220
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #220 in the U.S. and #786 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Anthropology
#743
World Rank
#760
Historical Rank
#242
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #242 in the U.S. and #743 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Literature
#727
World Rank
#729
Historical Rank
#250
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #250 in the U.S. and #727 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Medical
#941
World Rank
#948
Historical Rank
#262
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #262 in the U.S. and #941 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Religious Studies
#1550
World Rank
#1575
Historical Rank
#354
USA Rank

Lehigh University ranks #354 in the U.S. and #1550 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees

Who Are Lehigh University's Most Influential Alumni?

Lehigh University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Engineering, Mathematics, and Philosophy. Here are some of Lehigh University's most famous alumni:

Robert Serber
Robert Serber
An American physicist .
Kenneth French
An American economist.
James D. Foley
An American academic.
James R. Rice
An American scientist in engineering of solid mechanics.
Alexander Patch
Alexander Patch
A United States Army general .
Peter Feaver
Peter Feaver
An American academic.
William Cheswick
An American engineer.
Richard Harding Davis
Richard Harding Davis
A Journalist, war correspondent, novelist, short story writer.
Paul Corkum
A Canadian physicist.
James E. Talmage
James E. Talmage
An American Mormon leader.
Russell Lee
Russell Lee
An American photographer .
Barry Voight
Barry Voight
An American geologist.

Who Are Lehigh University's Most Influential Faculty?

Lehigh University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Engineering, Mathematics, and Philosophy. Here are some of Lehigh University's most famous faculty:

Gustavo A. Mellander
Gustavo A. Mellander
An American scholar.
Sijbren Otto
A Dutch systems chemistry professor.
Sherilyn C. Fritz
An American paleoecologist.
Shalinee Kishore
An Electrical & Computer Engineer.