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Lehigh University, a top 50 school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is home to 5,900 undergraduate students, the vast majority of whom line up to study within the top-flight engineering, business, biology, and computer science programs. At the same time, from an admissions standpoint, Lehigh is somewhat unique in its vacillating selectivity metrics and nonlinear acceptance rate trajectory. In an age when many schools of Lehigh’s species (private, selective, STEM-focused universities) have seen steadily declining acceptance rates, the “Brown & White” have seen their numbers bounce between 22% and 50% in recent years.

To give prospective Lehigh applicants a deep knowledge of the admissions landscape at this university, we will touch on the following topics:

• Lehigh University’s Class of 2028 acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
• Lehigh University’s ED acceptance rate
• SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted students
• Admissions trends for the Class of 2028
• The demographics of current undergraduates
• Lehigh University’s yield rate
• How Lehigh University’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
• Tips for applying to Lehigh University
• How to assess whether applying to Lehigh University is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)

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Lehigh University’s Overall Acceptance Rate – Class of 2028

For the Class of 2028, Lehigh received 20,396 applications — an all-time high. Of these Lehigh-hopefuls, 5,289 were accepted, giving Lehigh an acceptance rate of just under 26%. Surprisingly, this is the lowest admit rate in the past five years.

Recent Lehigh acceptance rates are as follows:

Lehigh University Early Decision Acceptance Rate

There are two rounds of Early Decision at Lehigh. The ED I deadline is November 1 and the ED II deadline is January 1. Perhaps surprisingly, for the Class of 2028, the university accepted 996 of the 2,217 students who applied via binding ED. This works out to a 45% ED acceptance rate, which is 8% lower than the previous year.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Lehigh?

Of the enrolled freshmen in 2024-25, 61% placed in the top decile of their high school class. What’s more, almost 86% were in the top quartile.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Lehigh?

Lehigh is test-optional, and less than 40% of enrolled Class of 2028 freshmen submitted test scores alongside their applications. Within that group, the mid-50% SAT score was 1380-1490. The mid-50% ACT range was 31-34.

Admissions Trends & Notes—Class of 2028

• Lehigh experienced a 10% rise in applications for the Class of 2028.
• Class of 2028 Early Decision applications rose by 32%.
• Enrolled Class of 2028 students are from 46 states and 28 countries.
• Typically, over half of the incoming class is filled in the Early Decision round.

Who Gets Into Lehigh University?

Let’s look at the demographics of current Lehigh University undergraduates. Geographically, the Class of 2028 was made up of:

• Students from 46 states.
• International students from 28 countries around the world (5% of the incoming class).

As at any selective university, competition is toughest among those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants (the entire Northeast & the West Coast). Accordingly, if you hail from a less populated state like Idaho, Wyoming, or Alaska, your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances.

Historically, the top home states of current undergrads are:

1. Pennsylvania
2. New Jersey
3. New York
4. California
5. Massachusetts

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows:

• Asian American: 10%
• Hispanic: 10.6%
• African American: 5%
• White: 62%
• Two or more races: 4%

The breakdown by gender of the Class of 2028 was an even split:

• Male: 53%
• Female: 47%

For the Class of 2028, undergraduate enrollment by college was as follows:

• College of Arts and Sciences: 37%
• College of Engineering and Applied Science: 25%
• College of Business: 22%
• Intercollegiate Programs: 11%
• College of Health: 4%
• Arts & Engineering: 1%

Yield Rate

Lehigh University’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted—was 28% last year, up about five points from two years ago. However, this number will likely remain low, due in part to the fact that Lehigh is competing with the same pool of students as many elite institutions in the Northeast.

How Lehigh University Rates Applicants

Lehigh University ranks just two factors as being “very important” to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record and GPA. Surprisingly, there are a whopping ten additional factors that Lehigh considers “important” in their evaluation of candidates: class rank, the application essay, recommendations, standardized test scores, talent/ability, extracurricular activities, character/personal qualities, volunteer work, and the level of an applicant’s interest in the university.

Straight from the Lehigh University admissions staff:

• “Authenticity is the key to submitting an application that stands out. Focus less on fitting in a box and more on sharing who you are.”
• “We also take into consideration the influence of the environments in which a student lives and learns has on the individual—noted in the school profile, student’s personal background and more.”
• “Our holistic review recognizes the individual’s characteristics and achievements—which can be found in the school transcript, recommendations, essays, extracurricular accomplishments, leadership experiences, and other factors which might be unique to the applicant. We also take into consideration the influence of the environments in which a student lives and learns has on the individual—noted in the school profile, student’s personal background and more.”

Additional Tips for Applying to Lehigh University

Should you end up as one of the 20,000+ Lehigh applicants in the next admissions cycle, you will benefit from being aware of the following:

• Lehigh has adopted an indefinite test-optional policy.
• All applicants are required to apply directly to one of four undergraduate colleges on the application for admission. What’s more, first-year applicants are encouraged to select an alternate major as well.
• Lehigh offers optional .
• More than most schools, Lehigh University views “demonstrated interest” as being important in the admissions process. Therefore, you will be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, follow them on social media, etc.
• A teacher recommendation is required. For tips on requesting a letter of recommendation, check out this blog.
• Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required by Lehigh. In the 2025-26 cycle, students were required to respond to two prompts. They were as follows:

1. How did you first learn about Lehigh University and what motivated you to apply? (200 words)
2. At Lehigh, we believe in pausing to celebrate the good—meaningful moments that bring joy, pride or motivation.What’s something great happening in your life right now?

   It could be an accomplishment, a personal win (big or small) or something you’re genuinely excited about. If it matters to you, we’d love to hear about it.

Please note there are program-specific essays as well.

Should I Apply to Lehigh University?

As mentioned previously, if you are a borderline applicant (by Lehigh’s standards), give serious consideration to applying via early decision. As noted above, in the regular round, unless you have stats that will blow away the admissions committee, you’ll also need to have a rock-solid backup plan.

Lehigh University Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

All Lehigh applicants need to work with their guidance counselor to formulate a balanced college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. For additional application resources, check out the following:

• Should You Start College Applications in the Summer?
• What is Demonstrated Interest?
• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• College Fair Advice for High School Students
• How to Complete the Common App Activities List
• Common App Essay Prompts
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?