View source for Lehigh University

{{short description|Private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox university|
 | name                   = Lehigh University
 | image                  = Lehigh University seal.png
 | image_upright          = 0.6
 | motto                  = ''Homo minister et interpres naturae'' ([[Latin]])<ref name="r361">{{cite web | title=Mission & Vision | website=Sustainability | url=https://sustainability.lehigh.edu/mission-vision | access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
 | mottoeng               = "Man, the servant and interpreter of nature"<ref name="r361" />
 | type                   = [[Private university|Private]]<ref name="USN&WR"/><ref name="Princeton Review–2024" /> [[research university]]
 | accreditation          = [[Middle States Commission on Higher Education|MSCHE]]<ref name="z292">{{cite web | title=Lehigh University | website=Middle States Commission on Higher Education | date=December 19, 2025 | url=https://www.msche.org/institution/0522/ | access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
 | founder                = [[Asa Packer]]<ref name="t244">{{cite web | title=Lehigh History & Our Founder, Asa Packer | website=Lehigh University | date=July 1, 2015 | url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/about/history | access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>
 | endowment              = $2.20 billion (2024)<ref>As of June 30, 2024. {{cite report |url=https://www.pionline.com/endowments-and-foundations/lehigh-university-endowment-returns-105-fiscal-year |title=Lehigh University endowment returns 10.5% for fiscal year |publisher=Pensions & Investments Crain Communications |date=November 12, 2024 |access-date=November 19, 2024}}</ref>
 | president              = [[Joseph J. Helble]]
 | provost                = Nathan Urban<ref name="lufacts"/>
 | city                   = [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]]
 | country                = United States<ref name="USN&WR"/>
 | established            = {{start date and age|1865|7|27}}
 | total_staff            = 1,997 (2023)<ref name="luoid">{{cite web |url=https://data.lehigh.edu/employee-profile |title=Employee Profile |publisher=Lehigh University |access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref>
 | students               = 7,909 (2024)<ref name="lufacts"/>
 | undergrad              = 5,986 (2024)<ref name="lufacts">{{cite web |url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/about/university-statistics |title=University Statistics |publisher=Lehigh University |access-date=October 21, 2024}}</ref>
 | postgrad               = 1,923 (2024)<ref name="lufacts"/>
 | faculty                = 681 (2023) <ref name="luoid"/>
 | coordinates            = 
 | campus                 = Small city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Lehigh&s=all&id=213543|title=IPEDS-Lehigh University}}</ref>
 | campus_size            = {{convert|2350|acre|ha}}
 | sporting_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[NCAA Division I FCS]] – [[Patriot League]]|[[Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association|EIWA]]|[[Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference|MARC]]|[[American Collegiate Hockey Association|ACHA]]|[[Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association|IHSA]]|[[United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association|USCSA]]}}
 | colors                 = Brown and white<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.lehigh.edu/about-hallmarks-traditions-brown-white|title=About: Hallmarks & Traditions Brown & White - Lehigh University|website=www1.lehigh.edu|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=December 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220181052/http://www1.lehigh.edu/about-hallmarks-traditions-brown-white|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><br>{{color box|#663700}} {{color box|white}}
 | sports_nickname        = [[Lehigh Mountain Hawks|Mountain Hawks]]
 | mascot                 = Clutch the Mountain Hawk
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]|[[Oak Ridge Associated Universities|ORAU]]|[[Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges|LVAIC]]|[[United Nations Academic Impact|UNAI]]|[[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]}}
 | website                = {{URL|www.lehigh.edu}}
 | logo                   = LUwithShield-CMYK.svg
 | logo_upright           = 0.6
 | free_label             = Newspaper
 | free1                  = ''The Brown and White''
}}

'''Lehigh University''' ('''LU''') is a [[private university|private]] [[research university]] in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]], United States.<ref name="USN&WR"/><ref name="Princeton Review–2024" /> The university was established in 1865 by businessman [[Asa Packer]]. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been [[mixed-sex education|coeducational]] since the 1971&ndash;72 academic year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lehigh.edu/~in40yrs/features/alumnae/they-broke-the-coed-barrier.html|title=They Broke the Coed Barrier|work=lehigh.edu|access-date=September 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015204121/http://www.lehigh.edu/~in40yrs/features/alumnae/they-broke-the-coed-barrier.html|archive-date=October 15, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|2022}}, the university had 5,911 undergraduate students and 1,781 [[graduate student]]s.<ref name="lufacts" /> The university is [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] as "Doctoral Universities R1: Very High Research Activity".<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institution/lehigh-university/ |publisher=Center for Postsecondary Education |website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu |access-date=12 September 2020 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030160726/https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=213543 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Campuses==
{{Further|List of Lehigh University buildings}}
[[File:LehighUniversityLibrary.JPG|right|thumb|An illustrated postcard of Lehigh University's campus in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]] in 1907]]
[[File:Alumni Memorial Building Lehigh University.jpg|thumb|Alumni Memorial Building in November 2019]]
Lehigh University is located in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]],<ref name="USN&WR"/> in the historically industrial [[Lehigh Valley]] region of eastern [[Pennsylvania]]. As of 2025, Lehigh encompasses {{convert|2350|acre|km2}}, including {{convert|180|acre|km2}} of recreational and playing fields, and 150 buildings comprising four million square feet of floor space.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lehigh University: Overview from Past to Present |url=https://catalog.lehigh.edu/overviewfrompastandpresent/ |website=Lehigh University Catalog |publisher=Lehigh University |access-date=31 October 2025}}</ref>

It is organized into three contiguous campuses on and around [[South Mountain (Eastern Pennsylvania)|South Mountain]], including:
*The Asa Packer Campus, built into the northern slope of the mountain, the university's original and primary campus;
*The Mountaintop Campus, atop South Mountain, including [[intramural sports]] fields, Imbt Laboratories, and Iacocca Hall; and
*The Murray H. Goodman Campus, immediately south in [[Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Saucon]], including [[Goodman Stadium]]and most of Lehigh University's sports facilities.

In May 2012, Lehigh was the beneficiary of a gift of 755 acres of property in nearby [[Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania]] from the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation. The gift from the estate of the long-time benefactor allowed the university to expand to its current size of 2,350 acres across all its campuses, and to consider new long-term potential uses for the university's new properties.<ref name="stablerdonation">{{cite web |url=http://www4.lehigh.edu/president/speeches/speech.aspx?Channel=%2FChannels%2FPresident&WorkflowItemID=1ea82489-13df-46e0-896e-f55b3dab40a3 |title=Message from the President on Stabler Foundation Gift |publisher=lehigh.edu |access-date=2012-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802065028/http://www4.lehigh.edu/president/speeches/speech.aspx?Channel=%2FChannels%2FPresident&WorkflowItemID=1ea82489-13df-46e0-896e-f55b3dab40a3 |archive-date=August 2, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Administration==
As a private institution, Lehigh University is governed by its board of trustees, established in 1866.<ref name="bylaws">{{cite web |title=1 UNIVERSITY BYLAWS |url=https://www.lehigh.edu/~inis/trustee/PDF/Lehigh_BOT_bylaws.pdf |website=Lehigh University |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref>

===Student governance===
In 1988, a student senate was created at the university to act as a governing body for undergraduate students, though it is empowered only to offer recommendations to the university's board. Still, the student senate still has an impact as it determines which clubs receive funding and which are authorized to be listed as official university clubs.<ref>{{cite web |title=What We Do |url=https://studentsenate.lehigh.edu/content/what-we-do |website=studentsenate.lehigh.edu |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our Structure |url=https://studentsenate.lehigh.edu/content/our-structure |website=studentsenate.lehigh.edu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Tomaszewski |first1=Samantha |title=The responsibilities of Student Senate, explained |url=https://thebrownandwhite.com/2016/10/06/lehigh-student-senate-explainer/ |website=The Brown and White |access-date=9 October 2023 |date=6 October 2016}}</ref> A separate student senate exists for [[Postgraduate education|graduate students]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Officers & Representatives |url=https://grad.lehigh.edu/node/183 |website=grad.lehigh.edu |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Graduate Student Senate |url=https://grad.lehigh.edu/student-life/graduate-student-senate |website=grad.lehigh.edu |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref>

==Academics==
{{See also|Lehigh University faculty}}
[[File:Sayre Observatory 1896.jpg|thumb|Sayre Observatory, an 1896 donation to the university]]
[[File:Lehigh University Mountain Top Campus.jpg|thumb|Iacocca Hall, named in honor of Lehigh University alumnus [[Lee Iacocca]]]]
[[File:Conferences lehigh.jpg|thumb|The university's Packard Laboratory in November 2015]]
[[File:Lehigh University Williams Hall.jpg|thumb|Williams Hall in November 2019]]
{{as of|2022}}, Lehigh has 584 full-time faculty members, with 95% holding a doctorate degree or the highest degree in their field.<ref name="lufacts" />

The university offers undergraduate enrollment to all its colleges except its College of Education.<ref name="enrollment-data">{{cite web |url=http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/glance/academics.aspx#Enrollment |title=Chart Showing Undergraduate Enrollment |publisher=.lehigh.edu |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009153843/http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/glance/academics.aspx#Enrollment |archive-date=October 9, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The university operates on a [[academic term|semester system]].<ref name=WSJ24rankings/>

===Colleges===
{{See also|List of Lehigh University engineering highlights}}

==== College of Arts and Sciences ====
Based in Maginnes Hall,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cas.lehigh.edu/casweb/default.aspx?id=1 |title=College of Arts & Sciences |publisher=Cas.lehigh.edu |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121210015202/http://cas.lehigh.edu/casweb/default.aspx?id=1 |archive-date=December 10, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> the College of Arts and Sciences offers a variety of humanities courses and visual arts programs and many music programs, including a marching band, the Wind Ensemble, and the Philharmonic orchestra. It has a dedicated Humanities Center, which is the site for many literature and other arts-based programs, including the Drown Writers Series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lehigh.edu/~indrown/ugrad/activities.html |title=Department of English |publisher=Lehigh.edu |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607151438/http://www.lehigh.edu/~indrown/ugrad/activities.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Lehigh also has a program called ArtsLehigh,<ref>[http://cas.lehigh.edu/artslehigh ArtsLehigh] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120710142543/http://cas.lehigh.edu/artslehigh |date=July 10, 2012 }} from the Lehigh website</ref> oriented towards enhancing interest in the arts on campus.

==== College of Business ====
Lehigh introduced business and economics classes in 1893, with the first dedicated classes in economics being offered in 1897 and the first professor of economics being hired by the school, John L. Stewart, in 1898. Stewart is credited with creating the College of Business in 1918, establishing its original courses and teaching most of the classes himself. The college's inaugural class of 1922 numbered just 77.<ref name="business history">{{cite web |title=History of the College of Business Administration |url=https://www.lehigh.edu/library/speccoll/business_history_2.pdf |website=lehigh.edu |access-date=28 February 2024}}</ref> Through the 1930s the College of Business Administration stayed consistent, with around 10 professors and 350 students, and in 1938 was accredited by the [[Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business]], with enrollment that year jumping to 465, or 25% of the total student body. In 1952 the College of Business Administration began offering a five-year course in [[Industrial engineering]] and business, as well as graduate courses for [[Master of Business Administration]] degrees and was expanded to include [[Master of Science]] degrees by 1964. In 1957 the college moved from Coppée Hall to the purpose-built Drown Hall.<ref name="business history" />

==== College of Education ====
More than 7,000 students have received master's, education specialist, [[Pennsylvania Department of Education]] teaching certificates and certifications, doctoral degrees, and professional certificates from Lehigh's College of Education {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lehigh.edu/education/alumni/index.html |title=COE Alumni page |publisher=Lehigh.edu |access-date=2011-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503060757/http://www.lehigh.edu/education/alumni/index.html |archive-date=May 3, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science ====
Graduates of Lehigh's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science invented the [[escalator]]<ref name="escalator">{{cite web |url=http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/stairways-to-heaven-escalators-in-the-vernacular |title=Stairways to Heaven: Escalators in the Vernacular |publisher=Terrastories.com |date=May 16, 2007 |access-date=2011-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008101940/http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/stairways-to-heaven-escalators-in-the-vernacular |archive-date=October 8, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> and founded [[Packard|Packard Motor Car Company]]<ref name="packard">{{cite web |url=http://heritage.web.lehigh.edu/index.php/Packard,_James_Ward |title=Packard, James Ward – Lehigh Engineering Heritage Initiative |publisher=Heritage.web.lehigh.edu |date=April 20, 2011 |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619152951/http://heritage.web.lehigh.edu/index.php/Packard,_James_Ward |archive-date=June 19, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the companies that built the locks and lockgates of the [[Panama Canal]]. Other notable alumni include [[Roger Penske]], [[Lee Iacocca]], [[John W. Fisher]], and [[Terry Hart]]. [[Tau Beta Pi]], the engineering [[honor society]], was founded at Lehigh.<ref name="taubetapi">{{cite web |url=http://www.tbp.org/pages/About/History/Founder.cfm |title=Tau Beta Pi Founder, Dr. Edward Higginson Williams, Jr |publisher=Tbp.org |access-date=2011-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025034336/http://www.tbp.org/pages/About/History/Founder.cfm |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In 2005, [[George Tamaro]], a Lehigh University master's degree in civil engineering alumnus, was the [[John Fritz Medal]] award recipient, issued by the [[American Association of Engineering Societies]].<ref name="award_recipients_aaes">{{Cite web|title=Award recipients|url=https://www.aaes.org/files/aaes_awards_description_2020.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.aaes.org/files/aaes_awards_description_2020.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=February 13, 2021|website=American Association of Engineering Societies}}</ref>

====  College of Health ====
Lehigh's College of Health offers classes in biostatistics, epidemiology, population health data science, and others related to population health.<ref>{{Cite web|title=College of Health home|url=http://health.lehigh.edu/home|website=Lehigh University|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> The college opened on August 21, 2020, and was the first in the world to offer undergraduate, graduate, and executive degrees in population health. It is based at the Health, Science, and Technology (HST) building which opened in January 2022.<ref>[https://www2.lehigh.edu/news/at-a-time-of-global-health-crisis-lehigh-opens-an-innovative-college-of-health "At a Time of Global Health Crisis, Lehigh Opens an Innovative College of Health," Lehigh University, Wednesday, August 26, 2020.] Retrieved August 27, 2020</ref>

===Undergraduate admissions===
Admission to Lehigh University is classified as "more selective" by the [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institution/lehigh-university/ |title=Lehigh University |publisher=American Council on Education |access-date=September 24, 2024 }}</ref> [[The Princeton Review]] gives Lehigh an "Admissions Selectivity Rating" of 95 out of 99.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lehigh University |publisher=[[The Princeton Review]] |url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college/lehigh-university-1023596 |access-date=September 24, 2024 }}{{\</ref>

In 2024, Lehigh University received 20,396 applications and admitted 5,289 students, resulting in an acceptance rate of 25%. Of those admitted, 1,501 students enrolled, yielding a matriculation rate of about 28%.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Admission Statistics |url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/admissions/admission-statistics |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=Lehigh University |language=en}}</ref> Among the incoming Class of 2028, 50% of students submitted standardized test scores. For these students, the middle 50% SAT scores ranged from 1420 to 1520, and the ACT scores ranged from 32 to 35.<ref name=":1" />

In 2023, the university received 18,415 applications. It extended offers of admission to 5,389 applicants, or 29%, after holistic review that includes examination of academic rigor, performance and admissions test scores. 1,531 accepted students chose to enroll, a yield rate of 28%.<ref name="cds">{{cite web|url=https://data.lehigh.edu/sites/data.lehigh.edu/files/Final_CDS_2023-2024_Revised_7.12.2024.pdf |title=2023-2024 Common Data Set |publisher=Lehigh University Office of Institutional Data |access-date=September 23, 2024 }}</ref> Of the 33% of incoming students in 2023 who submitted [[SAT]] scores, the [[interquartile range]] was 1370–1480; of the 10% of incoming students in 2023 who submitted [[ACT (test)|ACT]] scores, the interquartile range was 31–33.<ref name="cds" />

===Rankings===
{{Infobox US university ranking
| THES_W = 601–800
| THE_WSJ = 14
| QS_W = =668
| USNWR_NU = 46
| USNWR_W = 850
| Forbes = 64
| Wamo_NU = 29
| ARWU_W = 701–800
}}

In its 2024 ranking of best U.S. colleges, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', which ranks on the basis of student outcomes (70%), learning environment (20%), and diversity (10%), that analysis ranked Lehigh as 14th-best, overall, for that year.<ref name=WSJ24rankings>{{Cite web | author = WSJ Staff | date = 2023-10-13 | title = College Pulse Rankings: 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. | work = [[The Wall Street Journal]] (WSJ) | url=https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2024 | access-date=2023-10-13 | language=en-US}}</ref> In the 2025 edition of "Best Colleges Ranking" published by the [[U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking|''U.S. News & World Report'']], a site which does not report its methodology on its reporting page, Lehigh was ranked 46th (in a tie), in the "National Universities" category, with the following further category rankings: 25th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", 26th for "Best Value Schools", tied for 51st for "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs", and 45th for "Most Innovative Schools".<ref name="USN&WR">{{Cite web | author = USN&WR Best Colleges Staff | date = 2025-05-01 | title = Best Colleges Ranking: Lehigh University, Overview | work = [[U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking|U.S. News & World Report]] (USN&WR) Best Colleges Ranking | url = https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/lehigh-university-3289 | access-date=2025-05-01 | language=en-US}} One must click on the "See all rankings" dropdown at the cited URL to access all information reported here.</ref>

Along with three other [[Pennsylvania]] colleges, [[Dickinson College]] in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]], [[Lafayette College]] in [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]], and [[Muhlenberg College]] in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], Lehigh was a 2020 recipient of the Campus Sustainability Achievement Award issued by the [[Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education]] in commemoration of its participation in the Solar Collaboration Project.<ref>{{Cite news|title=2020 AASHE Sustainability Award Winners Announced|language=en-US|work=The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education|url=https://www.aashe.org/news/2020-sustainability-award-winners-announced/|access-date=2021-07-04}}</ref>

Lehigh University was nationally ranked in 2024, as 
1st in "Best Science Lab Facilities", 10th for “Best College Library”, and 15th for "Most Beautiful Campus" according to [[The Princeton Review]].<ref name="Princeton Review–2024">{{Cite web |title=Lehigh University - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews |url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college/lehigh-university-1023596 |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.princetonreview.com}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=May 2025}} Additionally, it holds the 2nd spot for "Best College Newspaper", 3rd in “Their Students Love These Colleges”, 16th in “Best Career Placement (Private Schools)”, 24th in “Top Green Colleges”, 30th in “Best Value Colleges (Private Schools)”, and ranks 4th for "Lots of Race/Class Interaction".<ref name="Princeton Review–2024" />{{full citation needed|date=November 2025}}

According to [[PayScale|PayScale's]] 2024 report, Lehigh ranks 1st among schools nationally for business majors by salary potential, with an early career median pay of $95,300 and a mid-career median pay of $194,900.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Business Schools |url=https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-majors/business |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Payscale}}</ref> Lehigh ranks 12th among universities for bachelor's degree salary potential, with a mid-career median salary of $147,300.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Universities and Colleges |url=https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/bachelors |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Payscale}}</ref> Lehigh University ranks 26th among schools nationally for computer science majors by salary potential<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Computer Science Schools |url=https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-majors/computer-science |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Payscale}}</ref> and 34th among schools nationally for engineering majors by salary potential.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-majors/engineering |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.payscale.com |title=Best Engineering Schools }}</ref>

In the 2024-2025 [[Forbes]] rankings of [[America's Top Colleges]], Lehigh is ranked 64th overall, 44th among private colleges, 49th among research universities, and 28th among institutions in the Northeast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lehigh University |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/lehigh-university/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

Lehigh University's College of Business is ranked 23rd in [[Poets&Quants]]' 2023 list of Best Undergraduate Business Schools.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bleizeffer |first=Kristy |date=2024-01-22 |title=Poets&Quants' Best Undergraduate Business Schools Of 2024 |url=https://poetsandquants.com/2024/01/22/poetsquants-best-undergraduate-business-schools-of-2024/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Poets&Quants |language=en-US}}</ref> This reflects a rise from 27th place in 2022. Additionally, the university's part-time, online FLEX MBA program is ranked 13th among online MBA programs by Poets&Quants for 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FLEX MBA Ranking {{!}} Lehigh Business |url=https://business.lehigh.edu/academics/graduate/masters-programs/flex-mba/mba-ranking#:~:text=Online%20MBA%20#13-,Lehigh%20University's%20part-time,%20online%20FLEX%20MBA%20has%20been%20ranked,the%20Poets&Quants%20report%20for%202025.&text=2%20in%20Pennsylvania-,Lehigh%20University's%20part-time,%20online%20FLEX%20MBA%20has%20been%20ranked,the%20Poets&Quants%20report%20for%202025. |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=business.lehigh.edu}}</ref>

In 2023, [[U.S. News & World Report]] has identified Lehigh University's 1-MBA program as ranking 5th in the United States in salary-to-debt ratio.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-10 |title=Lehigh's 1-MBA Ranks in Top 5 Nationally on Starting Salary-to-Debt Ratio |url=https://news.lehigh.edu/lehighs-1-mba-ranks-in-top-5-nationally-on-starting-salary-to-debt-ratio |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Lehigh University News |language=en}}</ref> The publication recently evaluated MBA programs by the highest return on investment by examining starting salary-to-debt ratio from its [[Best Colleges Ranking|2023-2024 Best Business Schools (MBA)]] ranking.

In 2018, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranked Lehigh's part-time [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] program 20th in the nation.<ref name="US News & World Report">{{cite web |title=The Best Part-Time MBA Programs |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/part-time-rankings?int=aa6b09&int=a06908 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902093102/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/part-time-rankings?int=aa6b09&int=a06908 |archive-date=September 2, 2017 |access-date=2017-09-01 |publisher=www.usnews.com}}</ref>

In 2012, ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' ranked Lehigh's College of Business 31st in the nation among undergraduate business programs.<ref name="BusinessWeek Undergrad B-School Rankings">[http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/top_undergrad_bschools_by_specialty_2012.html BusinessWeek rankings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523203013/http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/top_undergrad_bschools_by_specialty_2012.html |date=May 23, 2013 }}.</ref> In 2012, ''BusinessWeek'' ranked Lehigh the seventh-best overall undergraduate finance program in the nation, and ranked its undergraduate accounting program the 21st-best in the nation.<ref name="BusinessWeek Undergrad B-School Rankings"/>

In 2012,  ''[[Entrepreneur Magazine]]'' and [[The Princeton Review]] named Lehigh the 24th- best undergraduate college for entrepreneurship.<ref name="2012-2013 Top 25 Undergraduate Colleges">[http://www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges/undergrad/1.html Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 25 Undergraduate Colleges] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003165443/http://www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges/undergrad/1.html |date=October 3, 2012 }} Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 2012-10-08.</ref>

==Student life==

===Fraternities and sororities===
A large majority of Lehigh's social fraternities and sororities have their own university-owned houses; most of the fraternities and sororities are located along Upper and Lower Sayre Park Roads in a region known as "The Hill".

Lehigh has a decreasing level of student participation in [[fraternities and sororities]]; only about 21% of undergraduates are members of a fraternity or sorority. There are 10 fraternities,<ref>{{cite web |title=Message Regarding Unrecognized Groups |url=https://data.lehigh.edu/sites/data.lehigh.edu/files/6.20.2025_CDS-2024-2025_FINAL_REVISED.pdf|website=Lehigh Greek Community |date=August 30, 2018 |publisher=Lehigh OFSA |access-date=October 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030035738/http://lehighgreeks.blogspot.com/2018/08/message-regarding-unrecognized-groups.html |archive-date=October 30, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> all of which are housed on campus, and eight sororities, all of which are housed on campus.<ref name="Greek Life">{{cite web |url=http://www.lehigh.edu/ofsa/fs_info.shtml |title=Fraternities and Sororities |publisher=Lehigh University Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs |access-date=2013-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107180654/http://www.lehigh.edu/ofsa/fs_info.shtml |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Lehigh's "golden age of fraternities" came in the mid-1980s when there were 36 fraternities on campus, all located on "The Hill". Sororities were notably forced to operate off campus. When the drinking age was increased to 21, fraternities started to run into frequent hazing incidents and disciplinary issues which resulted in many of them being forced by the school to disband in the 1990s. Many of their former houses were transitioned to sorority houses and a few were demolished to make way for more dorms. As of 2024, some of the houses on "The Hill" remain vacant.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smerconish |first1=Michael |title=Modern college drinking policies not working |url=https://www.thestate.com/opinion/op-ed/article13958609.html |website=[[The State (newspaper)|The State]] |publisher=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref>

In recent years, some former Greek houses have been converted to "Themed Communities" where students with a shared interest can live together. Currently, there are five such houses for upperclassmen.<ref>https://studentaffairs.lehigh.edu/content/upper-class-themed-housing-communities</ref>

===Traditions and student newspaper===
Lehigh's school colors, brown and white, date back to 1874, and the school newspaper, ''The Brown and White'', has been continuously published since 1894.

Lehigh University is home to several unique and cherished traditions, particularly during the annual Spirit Week leading up to the [[The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)|Lehigh-Lafayette football game]].

One of the highlights is the Bed Races, where students form teams, decorate beds, and drag race them down Packer Avenue. Initially bed races where organized by students, originally exclusively fraternity brothers, who constructed their own beds to demonstrate their engineering skills, and racing them down Sayre Park's hill where the fraternity houses are. Starting in 2014 the school mandated and provided uniform beds for safety reasons, and during the [[COVID-19]] pandemic took over the races entirely, making the beds motorized to be raced along the flat Packer Ave.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=Bed Races |url=https://blog.lehigh.edu/bed-races |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Students of Lehigh Blog |language=en}}</ref>

Orientation Week also features class flag presentations at "The Rally," where each class is represented by an official flag passed down by their adopting class, 50 years their senior. The oldest surviving class flag dates back to 1889.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rally {{!}} Lehigh Alumni |url=https://alumni.lehigh.edu/the-rally |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=alumni.lehigh.edu |language=en}}</ref>

[[The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)|The Lehigh-Lafayette football rivalry]], which began in 1884, is one of the most celebrated in college football, with the two schools having met more times than any other rivalry in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry |url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/about/lehigh-lafayette |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Lehigh University |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Marching 97]] band also plays a key role in Le-Laf Week, performing traditional Lehigh fight songs as they parade through campus. The "Eco-flame" tradition, originating in the 1970s when Professor Rich Aaronson invited the band to perform for his ECO 001 class, remains a staple of the week.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-20 |title=Eco-Flame |url=https://news.lehigh.edu/eco-flame |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Lehigh University News |language=en}}</ref>

Campus-wide events such as Lehigh After Dark's carnival and the GO campaign launch, which featured a Halsey concert, bring students from various class years and interest groups together, further enhancing the community spirit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Student Life at Lehigh |url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/admissions/student-life-at-lehigh |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Lehigh University |language=en}}</ref>

===ROTC===
{{main|Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps}}
Since 1919 Lehigh maintains a unit in the [[Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps]], the [[Steel Battalion (United States)|Steel Battalion]] of the [[2nd Reserve Officers' Training Corps Brigade|2nd ROTC Brigade]], which is headquartered in Jordan Hall on the mountaintop campus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Institutional Partnerships |url=https://www.steelrotc.com/schools |website=steelrotc |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{{Main|Lehigh Mountain Hawks}}
{{See also|Lehigh Mountain Hawks football|Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's basketball|Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's lacrosse|Lehigh Mountain Hawks women's basketball|Lehigh Mountain Hawks softball}}
[[Image:Lafayette Lehigh MVP Trophy.JPG|thumb|The [[Lafayette Leopards football|Lafayette]]–[[Lehigh Mountain Hawks football|Lehigh]] [[most valuable player]] trophy plaque prior to the 144th meeting of [[The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)|The Rivalry]] in 2009; the series between the two colleges, which are {{convert|17|mi}} away from each other in the [[Lehigh Valley]], is the [[List of NCAA college football rivalry games|most-played rivalry]] in [[college football]] history with 158 meetings since 1884.]]
[[File:Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen at 2009 training camp.jpg|thumb|[[Philadelphia Eagles]] training camp at Lehigh in August 2009]]
[[File:Goodman Stadium.JPG|thumb|[[Goodman Stadium]] at Lehigh in October 2007]]
As a member of the [[Patriot League]], Lehigh competes in 25 different [[Division I (NCAA)|NCAA Division I]] sports. Lehigh's 2006 student-athlete graduation rate of 97% ranked 12th among all 326 NCAA Division I institutions.<ref name="lehighsports1">{{cite web|url=http://www.lehighsports.com/info/graduation/default.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128121342/http://www.lehighsports.com/info/graduation/default.aspx|url-status=dead|title=Graduation Home Page|date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=January 28, 2013|website=lehighsports.com}}</ref>  In 2002, it won the inaugural ''[[USA Today]]''/NCAA Foundation Award for having the nation's top graduation rate of all Division I institutions.<ref name="lehighsports1"/>

Lehigh graduates have gone on to professional careers in the [[National Football League]], [[Major League Baseball]], [[Major League Soccer]], and the [[National Basketball Association]] as players, scouts, coaches, and owners. Lehigh graduates have competed in the [[Super Bowl]] and won gold medals for the U.S. at the [[Olympic Games]]. While it is not a school sport, a number of Lehigh alumni, including [[Roger Penske]], [[Al Holbert]], and [[John Fitch (racing driver)|John Fitch]], went on to successful careers in [[auto racing]].

===Basketball===
{{Main|Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's basketball}}
Lehigh's fifth trip to the [[2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA tournament in 2012]] proved to be their most notable to date, thanks to its first-round game as a #15 seed on March 16, 2012, against the #2 seed [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke Blue Devils]].  Despite being a heavy underdog, thanks to [[CJ McCollum]]'s 30-point heroics, the Mountain Hawks pulled off the stunning upset, defeating the Blue Devils 75-70 and making it only the sixth time that a 15th seed had defeated a second seed.<ref name="morningcall">{{cite web | url=http://www.mcall.com/sports/college/lehigh/mc-ncaa-basketball-lehigh-duke-gamer-0316-20120316,0,6364456.story | title=NCAA basketball: Lehigh pulls off monumental upset of Duke | publisher=The Morning Call | work=MCall.com | date=March 16, 2012 | access-date=March 16, 2012 | author=Housenick, Tom | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310044820/http://articles.mcall.com/2012-03-16/sports/mc-ncaa-basketball-lehigh-duke-gamer-0316-20120316_1_mccollum-3-pointer-gabe-knutson-lehigh | archive-date=March 10, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Football===
{{Main|The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)}}
Lehigh University and nearby [[Lafayette College]] are rivals in sports. Since 1884, the two football teams have met over 160 times, making the game between the two programs, known as [[The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh)|The Rivalry]], the most played in the history of [[college football]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2017-09-17/7-most-played-college-football-rivalries-all-time|title=7 of the most-played college football rivalries of all time {{!}} NCAA.com|website=www.ncaa.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730183631/https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2017-09-17/7-most-played-college-football-rivalries-all-time|archive-date=July 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The rivalry between Lehigh and Lafayette is also the longest uninterrupted rivalry in [[college football]]; the teams have played annually since 1897. For the 150th meeting, the teams played before a sold-out [[Yankee Stadium]] in [[New York City]].<ref>[https://lehighsports.com/sports/150th-lehigh-lafayette-game "150th Lehigh-Lafayette Game"] at Lehigh Sports</ref>

The week leading up to the game features traditional festivities, including decorating fraternity houses, parties, rallies and the [[Marching 97]] performing unexpectedly during classes the Friday before the game.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Lehigh: Marching 97 Campus Tour |date=May 26, 2015 |url=https://www1.lehigh.edu/about-hallmarks-traditions-marching-97-campus-tour |publisher=Lehigh University |quote=The march is called "Eco-flame" because in the '70s Professor Rich Aaronson asked the band to play for his ECO 001 class. |access-date=August 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819170016/https://www1.lehigh.edu/about-hallmarks-traditions-marching-97-campus-tour |archive-date=August 19, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Wrestling===
The most storied athletic program at Lehigh is its [[Collegiate wrestling|wrestling]] team, which began in 1910. Over the past several decades, the Lehigh wrestling team has produced 158 All-Americans and had numerous squads finish with Top 20 NCAA national rankings, including finishing second in the nation in 1939.<ref>{{cite web|title=LU Wrestling History|url=http://www.lehighsports.com/custompages/Record%20Books/Wrestling/Wrestling%20Record%20Book%2092613.pdf|publisher=Lehigh University Athletics|access-date=2014-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222001754/http://www.lehighsports.com/custompages/Record%20Books/Wrestling/Wrestling%20Record%20Book%2092613.pdf|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, the athletic department hired Pat Santoro, a two-time national champion and two-time winner of the EIWA Coach of the Year (2009, 2012) as Lehigh's head wrestling coach.<ref>{{cite web|title=LU Wrestling Pat Santoro Bio|url=http://www.lehighsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1483&path=wrestling|publisher=Lehigh University Athletics|access-date=2014-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222002212/http://www.lehighsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1483&path=wrestling|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

Home dual meets and tournaments take place in Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall, on the university's main campus.<ref>{{cite web|title=LU Wrestling Arena|url=http://lehighsports.com/sports/2013/6/4/GEN_0604132035.aspx|publisher=Lehigh University Athletics|access-date=2014-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222001844/http://lehighsports.com/sports/2013/6/4/GEN_0604132035.aspx|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Commonly known as "The Snake Pit", it has been the home of Lehigh wrestling since 1942.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spey |first=Andrew |date=2018-06-04 |title=Final X Lehigh Will Be Held In Historic Grace Hall |url=https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6212291-final-x-lehigh-will-be-held-in-historic-grace-hall |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=FloWrestling |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scovel |first=Shannon |date=September 30, 2019 |title=The 5 best places to watch college wrestling, according to fans |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2019-09-30/5-best-places-watch-college-wrestling-according-fans |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=www.ncaa.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-12-13 |title=Lehigh Valley Flashback Dec. 13: Emmaus' Berta, Liberty's Hartenstine named high school All-Americans |url=https://www.mcall.com/2020/12/13/lehigh-valley-flashback-dec-13-emmaus-berta-libertys-hartenstine-named-high-school-all-americans/ |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=The Morning Call |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2013, Grace Hall was converted into the Caruso Wrestling Complex, including a visiting area and Lehigh's College Wrestling Wall of Fame.

In March 2017, Lehigh wrestler and [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]] native Darian Cruz won the [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Division I national wrestling tournament]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fierro |first1=Nick |title=Lehigh's Darian Cruz captures NCAA wrestling championship at 125 pounds |url=https://www.mcall.com/sports/college/mc-ncaa-wrestling-0318-20170318-story.html |website=The Morning Call |date=March 19, 2017 |publisher=Morning Call |access-date=March 3, 2019 |ref=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111536/https://www.mcall.com/sports/college/mc-ncaa-wrestling-0318-20170318-story.html |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> becoming Lehigh's first national champion since [[Zach Rey]], Lehigh's current assistant wrestling coach, won the title in the heavyweight division six years earlier, in 2011.

=== Lacrosse ===
Lehigh University's [[lacrosse]] program is a prominent part of Lehigh's athletic offerings, with both men's and women's teams competing at the [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] level.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Men's Lacrosse |url=https://lehighsports.com/sports/mens-lacrosse |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Lehigh University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> The men's team and women's team compete in the [[Patriot League]].

The men's lacrosse team has achieved historic success over the years, including four [[Patriot League#Lacrosse|Patriot League Championships]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-07-18 |title=Lehigh Men's Lacrosse Team: Four-Time Patriot League Champs |url=https://www2.lehigh.edu/news/lehigh-mens-lacrosse-team-four-time-patriot-league-champs |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Lehigh University |language=en}}</ref> The team earned an automatic bid to the [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|NCAA Tournament]] in 2024 after rallying to defeat [[Boston University]] 11–10 in the championship game.<ref name=":0" />

==The Clery Act==
{{Main|Clery Act|Murder of Jeanne Clery}}

On April 5, 1986, [[Murder of Jeanne Clery|Jeanne Clery]], a 19-year-old Lehigh freshman, was raped and murdered in her Lehigh dorm room; the perpetrator, a Lehigh student, was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to death. In 1990, the backlash against unreported crimes on numerous campuses across the country led the [[United States Congress]] to pass the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, known as the [[Clery Act]], which requires that colleges reveal information regarding crime on their campuses.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116872,00.html|title=After Their Daughter Is Murdered at College, Her Grieving Parents Mount a Crusade for Campus Safety|last=Gross|first=Ken|date=February 19, 1990|magazine=People.com|access-date=2011-10-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604122642/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116872,00.html|archive-date=June 4, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.securityoncampus.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=271&Itemid=60|title=Complying With The Jeanne Clery Act|publisher=Securityoncampus.org|access-date=2011-10-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213104921/http://www.securityoncampus.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=271&Itemid=60|archive-date=December 13, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of Lehigh University people}}

==See also==
*[[Lehigh University Press]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lehigh University}}
*{{Official website|http://www.lehigh.edu/}}
*[http://www.lehighsports.com/ Lehigh Athletics website]
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Lehigh University |year=1905 |short=x}}

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