Lehigh University tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at Lehigh University is $80,856 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $36,931 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

What your family pays
$36,931 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $80,856. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusAll students
Tuition & fees$64,980
Housing & meals$16,470
Books & supplies$1,000
Personal & travel$1,500
Living-at-home adjustment−$3,094
Total cost of attendance$80,856

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$19,500
Loan default rate0.7%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out18%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants18%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$43,925Sticker price minus average net price

State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at Lehigh University

What Lehigh University reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

Share of need met, on average97%Of students awarded need-based aid; excludes parent and unsubsidized loans
Students with need who had all of it met63%431 of 687
Average need-based grant$57,846
Average aid package$63,778Grants, work-study and need-based loans

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$21,666Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one21%177 first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

Lehigh University net price compared with other Pennsylvania colleges

Lehigh University has the 106th-lowest average net price of 114 Pennsylvania colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
102University of Scranton$32,56880%$74,652
103Pennsylvania State University$32,87586%$63,435
104Lafayette College$34,43388%$91,410
105Franklin and Marshall College$36,42584%$76,124
106Lehigh University$36,93188%$105,584
107Misericordia University$37,48572%$64,313
108Dickinson College$37,60780%$70,204
109Duquesne University$37,73077%$74,742
110Drexel University$38,50978%$84,648

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All Pennsylvania colleges →

Why Lehigh University costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Lehigh University26%$36,93188%$105,584This school
Villanova University27%$43,75692%$100,423
Bucknell University29%$40,76686%$93,807
Lafayette College31%$34,43388%$91,410
Carnegie Mellon University12%$31,94494%$114,862

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Lehigh University would cost you $6,825 less per year than Villanova University, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at Lehigh University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,796).
  • Lehigh University gives aided families $2,888 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Pennsylvania residentLehigh UniversityVillanova UniversityDifference
Tuition & fees$64,980$67,776−$2,796
Books & supplies$1,000$1,100−$100
Housing & meals$16,470$16,896−$426
Personal & travel$1,500$2,300−$800
Living-at-home adjustment−$3,094−$3,279+$185
Sticker price$80,856$84,793−$3,937
Average grants−$43,925−$41,037−$2,888
You pay$36,931$43,756−$6,825

“+” means Lehigh University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Lehigh University cost questions

How much is tuition at Lehigh University?

Tuition and fees are $64,980 a year.

What is the total cost of attending Lehigh University?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $80,856 a year.

What do families actually pay at Lehigh University?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $36,931 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $16,917; $48–75k pay $18,722; $110k+ pay $48,751.

Does Lehigh University give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 177 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from Lehigh University, averaging $21,666 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards). Students with need had 97% of it met on average.

How much debt do Lehigh University graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $19,500, and 0.7% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

Is Lehigh University the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to Lehigh University overview