Lehigh University Celebrates Largest Incoming Class from Lehigh Valley
Lehigh welcomes more than 100 first-year students from Northampton and Lehigh counties this fall in the largest local contingent in nearly a decade.
Lehigh University has welcomed the largest contingent of local students in nearly a decade, with 101 first-year undergraduates from high schools in Northampton and Lehigh counties enrolling this fall.
Local students make up 6.5% of this year’s incoming class. This number represents the highest number and highest percentage of enrolled Lehigh Valley students since 2018, even as overall class size has grown. This year’s incoming local class exceeds last year’s 77 enrolled Lehigh Valley students.
“If the Lehigh Valley were a state, it would be the fourth largest state in our incoming class, just ahead of California,” Lehigh University Provost Nathan Urban said. In the last two years, Lehigh has enrolled at least one student from each of the 26 high schools in the Lehigh Valley. This fall Lehigh received the most local applicants since at least 2018.
“Lehigh University wants to attract the brightest talent from around the globe, and we know that a lot of that talent is here in the Lehigh Valley,” Lehigh University President Joseph Helble said. “We would love for local students to see that they need look no further than their own backyard to get a world-class residential education in a supportive community, and then be able to contribute to innovation and growth right here at home.”
The valley’s only Research 1 university aims to be an institution of choice for talented local students, as well as serve the community it’s a part of and be an engine of regional economic growth, Helble said. Lehigh strives to equip the workforce of the future with the knowledge and skills they need to be problem-solvers and leaders. Students from across the Lehigh Valley are an important part of that mission.
“Lehigh University is thrilled to have so many talented local students become part of our vibrant educational community,” Helble said. “We look forward to their contributions in the Class of 2029.”
Increasing aid for Lehigh Valley students
In the last three years, Lehigh offered 92 scholarships equal to or greater than half the annual cost of tuition to Lehigh Valley students and enrolled 29 of those recipients.
“We believe that access to quality higher education is critical for Lehigh Valley residents and families, which is why we have increased the number of half-tuition or greater scholarships offered to Lehigh Valley high school students by more than three-fold since 2022,” Urban said.
Lehigh awarded institutional financial aid to 56% of this year’s first-year students from Northampton and Lehigh counties, with a total of $2.7 million in institutional aid going to students in this class who hail from these counties.
In 2023, Lehigh University introduced The Lehigh Commitment, which provides a full-tuition grant to undergraduate students from families with a total income of less than $75,000. This year, 70 students who benefited from The Lehigh Commitment are from Lehigh and Northampton counties, bringing The Lehigh Commitment investment in those local students to a value of more than $4.6 million – the total amount of aid awarded to those students amounts to more than $4.9 million once additional aid is factored in.
“Lehigh has a very generous need-based financial aid program and there are many tools available to help families estimate how much need-based aid they might receive,” said Jennifer Mertz, Lehigh’s assistant vice provost of financial services and director of financial aid. Resources include a Net Price Calculator tool and financial aid staff and counselors available to meet in person, by phone, or virtually, at any stage of a students’ college journey.
“We want every student and family in the Valley to know that a Lehigh University education is within reach,” Mertz said.
About Lehigh University
Founded in 1865, Lehigh University is a premier residential research university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. With more than 7,000 students (~5,900 undergraduates and ~1,700 graduate students) and a distinguished faculty, Lehigh combines the academic rigor of a larger research institution with the close-knit community of a smaller college. Lehigh’s five colleges — Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, and Health — offer nationally recognized programs, while the university’s commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning prepares graduates to lead in an increasingly complex world. Learn more at www.lehigh.edu.
Information provided to TVL by:
Amy White
