10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$235,586at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · 34 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 32 · Federal debt reported for 25
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$235,586 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
5.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+72%Estimated return after 10 years
$101,331Observed earnings · year 5
$95,828Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $58,897 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $17,220 housing and food allowance plus $1,500 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$383,310
$20,000Annual price+$303,310
$37,000Current college-wide context+$235,310
$40,000Annual price+$223,310
$60,000Annual price+$143,310
$80,000Annual price+$63,310
$100,000Annual price−$16,690
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
89 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$36,931Average net price / year
$80,856Cost of attendance
$21,960Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$233/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$101,331Median earnings · year 5 after completion
87.9%Completion rate
25.9%Admission rate
1,440Average SAT score
32ACT midpoint
5,898Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Lehigh University
What does Lehigh University cost?
Lehigh University reports an average annual net price of $36,931 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Lehigh University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $101,331 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Lehigh University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,960. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Lehigh University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 34 field-and-degree records for Lehigh University; 32 report year-4 earnings and 25 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
8,260Students enrolled at any point
6,147Undergraduate students
2,113Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
91% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
234 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
83% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$101,864Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$94,564Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$111,352Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income81%
Middle income85%
Higher income92%
Undergraduate student composition
White60%
Black5%
Hispanic11%
Asian11%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$71,597Year 1
$101,748Year 4
$101,331Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$153,6382Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$141,6913Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$127,2104Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$125,8745Industrial Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$121,4986Industrial Engineering · Master's Degree$120,0337Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$116,9998Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$116,214Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $91,697 reported+81%vs same-degree national median$24,960federal debt2Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $125,874 reported+65%vs same-degree national median$23,179federal debt3Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $107,079 reported+57%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's Degree · $127,210 reported+53%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt5Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $153,638 reported+48%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $74,939 reported+48%vs same-degree national median$21,160federal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Villanova, PA
Villanova University
- Annual net price
- $43,756
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $98,831
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +52%
Drexel University
- Annual net price
- $38,509
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $89,242
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +32%
Bucknell University
- Annual net price
- $40,766
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $90,297
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +32%
Lafayette College
- Annual net price
- $34,433
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $86,844
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +32%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 34 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $153,638 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $141,691 | $23,854 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $127,210 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $125,874 | $23,179 | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $121,498 | $23,834 | 0 |
| Industrial Engineering | Master's Degree | $120,033 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $116,999 | $24,019 | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $116,214 | $24,625 | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $113,630 | $23,240 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $108,503 | $22,754 | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $107,079 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $106,767 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $106,260 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $101,720 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $98,481 | $20,500 | 0 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $98,320 | $20,534 | Not reported |
| Materials Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,904 | $26,324 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,618 | $24,950 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $92,139 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,856 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | Bachelor's Degree | $91,697 | $24,960 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $90,302 | $21,150 | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Master's Degree | $86,268 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $85,017 | Not available | Not reported |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $81,935 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $79,569 | $21,250 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $75,611 | $23,128 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $74,939 | $21,160 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $72,978 | $19,707 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $71,474 | $19,707 | 0 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $61,708 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $55,728 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $20,710 | Not reported |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $22,863 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.