Lehigh vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Lehigh University or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Lehigh or Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver comparison
Lehigh University Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Lehigh University
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Overview

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
Location Bethlehem, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,394 522
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #54
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $58,970 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $58,970 $23,086
Room & Board $15,890 $12,254
Avg Net Price $30,453 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $44,116 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 87%

Admission

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,163 1,707
Admitted 5,607 1,591
Acceptance Rate 37% 93.2%
Enrolled % 26.9% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 20/28
SAT Range 1340/1490 1050/1260
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, 2025

Academics

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
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 Beaver
% Men 54% 55%
% Women 46% 45%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 75%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 9% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 8% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lehigh Penn State Beaver
% In-State 21% 63%
% Out-of-State 71% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 522 students)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lehigh or Penn State Beaver?

  • Lehigh University is 326.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 155.4% higher at Lehigh than Penn State Beaver ($58,970.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Lehigh ($18,113 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 29.7% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($12,254 vs. $15,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than Lehigh University (87% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 375.7% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($44,116 vs. $9,274)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 339 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than Lehigh (37%)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than Penn State Beaver (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $33,900 more per year than Penn State Beaver 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 Beaver graduates. ($24,256 vs. $26,818)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver 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/