Lehigh vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

Lehigh Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Bethlehem, PA Center Valley, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,394 888
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 Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $58,970 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $58,970 $24,318
Room & Board $15,890 $12,984
Avg Net Price $30,453 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $44,116 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 78%

Admission

Lehigh Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,163 1,806
Admitted 5,607 1,699
Acceptance Rate 37% 94.1%
Enrolled % 26.9% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Average
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 22/26
SAT Range 1340/1490 1100/1290
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 Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

Lehigh Penn State Lehigh Valley
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 Lehigh Valley
% Men 54% 57%
% Women 46% 43%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 64%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 9% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 8% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lehigh Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 21% 93%
% Out-of-State 71% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 888 students)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Lehigh University is 303.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 142.5% higher at Lehigh than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($58,970.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Lehigh ($18,142 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 22.4% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($12,984 vs. $15,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Lehigh University (78% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 346.2% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($44,116 vs. $9,886)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 319 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Lehigh (37%)

Lehigh vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

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