Lehigh vs. Penn State

Should I go to Lehigh University or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lehigh or Penn State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Lehigh University vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
Lehigh University Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
Lehigh University Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 Lehigh Penn State
Location Bethlehem, PA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 7,590 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Lehigh Penn State
Tuition (In State) $61,180 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $61,180 $39,626
Room & Board $16,470 $13,030
Avg Net Price $33,289 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $43,644 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 36%

Admission

 Lehigh Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,415 85,956
Admitted 5,389 46,605
Acceptance Rate 29.3% 54.2%
Enrolled % 28.4% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 31/33 27/32
SAT Range 1350/1490 1220/1400
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Lehigh Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Lehigh Penn State
Graduation Rate 87% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,256 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $250 $277

Diversity

 Lehigh Penn State
% Men 12% 8%
% Women 11% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 69%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Lehigh Penn State
% In-State 23% 51%
% Out-of-State 69% 40%

Campus

 Lehigh Penn State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Lehigh based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 7,590 students)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lehigh or Penn State?

  • Lehigh University is 211% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($61,180.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.4% higher at Lehigh than Penn State Main Campus ($61,180.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Lehigh ($27,450 vs. $33,289)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 26.4% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($13,030 vs. $16,470)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lehigh University than Penn State Main Campus (59% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 277% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($43,644 vs. $11,577)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Lehigh or Penn State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State or Lehigh .

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 136 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Lehigh (29.3%)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh or Penn State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State and Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is the same as at Penn State Main Campus (87% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $33,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $2,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,818)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/