A record number of high school students have applied to Lehigh to be part of the Class of 2027. To date, Lehigh has received more than 18,000 applications with all three rounds—Early Decision I, Early Decision II and Regular Decision—showing increases for a 21% increase over last year’s end-of-the-year tally.
Lehigh received more applications from women than men for the first time ever, and more applicants across geographic categories and nearly every ethnic and racial category.
Lehigh also saw a 47% increase in applications to the College of Health, as well as a 38% increase in applications to intercollegiate interdisciplinary programs.
In a video message to the early decision and regular decision students, Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble ’82 spoke from his firsthand experience as an undergraduate alumnus in identifying the top reasons students say they were drawn to Lehigh. He pointed to “engaging academic experiences, a campus with nearly unrivaled natural beauty, and an incredibly strong sense of community—from the faculty and staff who mentor them to the lifelong friendships they forge.”
In Early Decision I, Lehigh had offered admission to 543 talented high school students from 29 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, as well as 16 international countries. Of those, 109 of the students offered Early Decision 1 admission, or 20% of the cohort, will be the first in their family to go to college.
“It is exciting that not only have more students applied to Lehigh than any time in its history, but more students have made Lehigh their first choice,” said Dan Warner, vice provost for admissions and financial aid. “We've seen a 26% increase across the two binding early decision rounds, with a 51% increase in Early Decision II alone. It is also gratifying to see that Lehigh remains a top choice across demographic groups. Applications are up for all colleges, all geographic categories, including internationally and for nearly all ethnic/racial groups.”
