How to Apply to Engineering at Lehigh University: 17 B.S. Degrees in the Rossin College, No Need to Pick a Major Before Applying, a Shared First Year, Admission Routes and Prerequisites for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, teaches undergraduate engineering in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. The College’s FAQ says there is no separate application to the Rossin College: you apply through the Office of Admissions and name engineering as your intended course of study. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Lehigh’s website, for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Engineering programs

The 2026-27 catalog says the College has eight departments and awards 17 Bachelor of Science degrees:

• ABET engineering accreditation: bioengineering, chemical, civil, computer, electrical and environmental engineering, industrial and systems engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering.
• ABET computing accreditation: computer science; computer science and business (also AACSB-accredited). Computer science has its own guide on this site and is not covered here.
• Other B.S. degrees: applied science, chemistry, engineering mechanics, engineering physics, integrated business and engineering (AACSB-accredited), and the Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS).
• The College’s majors page also lists a five-year Arts and Engineering dual degree (B.S./B.A.).
• The FAQ notes that ABET accredits individual programs and that the interdisciplinary degrees sit outside that framework, so check the major page if accreditation matters to you.

Students can add technical minors such as aerospace engineering, energy engineering, nanotechnology and data science. Eligible students can use the accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s program, counting up to 12 undergraduate credits toward the master’s (the FAQ says declaring it needs a cumulative GPA of 3.0).

2. Admission: no need to choose a major first, and a shared first year

• Applying: the FAQ says you apply through Lehigh’s Office of Admissions and name engineering as your intended course of study; there is no separate College application.
• Choosing a major: the FAQ says you do not need to know your major before applying, and most students do not; that is what the first year is for.
• First-year courses (catalog): writing (WRT 001, 002), calculus (MATH 021, 022), ENGR 005, and in each semester either chemistry CHM 030 with ENGR 010 or physics PHY 011 with PHY 012, plus a humanities or social science elective, for 29–34 credits. Bioengineering students take biology in spring. Computer Science and Business, Integrated Business and Engineering, and IDEAS follow a different first year.
• FYRE: First Year Rossin Engineering centres on the three-credit ENGR 095 and seven-week modules that rotate students through engineering areas. The FAQ says it began as a pilot in 2025 and is being rolled out to the whole College by 2028–2029, so ask your admissions counsellor or the advising team (rossinadvise@lehigh.edu) what the first year looks like for 2027 entry.
• Entry to a major: the pages read do not state a GPA threshold or space limit for declaring an engineering major; this is not published, so ask Rossin advising.
• Honors programs: admission to Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) is highly selective and requires a 3.25 GPA to remain; IDEAS accepts 30–40 first-year candidates a year and also requires a 3.25 GPA.
• Switching into engineering from another Lehigh college: the catalog says students need sophomore status and at least 12 credits in their original college; the receiving college may require up to three introductory courses with a C- or better; the petition is due three weeks before registration for the target semester. Switching colleges may take more than eight semesters.

3. High school preparation

• University minimum (admissions FAQ): a standard four-year high school curriculum of at least 16 units: English 4, foreign language 2, social science 2, laboratory science 2, college-preparatory mathematics 3 and electives 3. The foreign language requirement is waived only in exceptional cases. Admissions says most admitted students exceed these minimums.
• Engineering-specific requirements: the admissions and College pages read do not list extra mathematics or science prerequisites for engineering applicants (such as calculus, physics or chemistry); this is not published, so ask admissions@lehigh.edu.
• AP credit: the College FAQ says each department sets its own AP standards, so check the course catalog or the department that owns the course.

4. Deadlines and materials

• Deadlines: Early Decision I 1 November (decision mid-December); Early Decision II and Regular Decision 1 January (decisions mid-February and late March). Lehigh has no Early Action. The page gives no year, so check the admissions page before submitting.
• Platforms: Common App or Coalition Application with Scoir, including the Lehigh questions and writing supplement.
• Materials: school report and transcript, one teacher recommendation, mid-year and final reports, and a $75 fee.
• Testing: Lehigh is test-optional indefinitely and superscores both the SAT and ACT; if you take the ACT with science, the science score is reported and considered.
• Interviews: not required; interviews you do take are evaluative.

5. U.S. applicants

• Tuition: as a private university, Lehigh charges the same tuition to all. Typical 2026-27 costs: tuition $69,420, first-year housing $11,470, full meal plan $7,760, plus technology, activity and wellness fees, for $89,820. Students in certain programs pay an extra $910 (the Engineering and Science fee for engineering and science students).
• Aid: under the Lehigh Commitment, students from families with total income below $75,000 receive a full tuition grant. Admissions says 26% of students admitted for 2025-26 received a merit scholarship of $15,000 or more a year.
• Aid forms: Early Decision I applicants submit the CSS Profile and tax forms by 1 November, Early Decision II applicants by 15 January; all aid applicants submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile by 1 February.
• Eligible non-citizens for federal aid, such as permanent residents and refugees, are treated as domestic applicants.

6. International applicants

• Definition: any non-U.S. citizen, wherever they attend high school.
• Qualifications: you must be completing or have completed the equivalent of 12 years of education, or a programme that makes you eligible for university study in your system.
• English: required unless your first language is English or your last two full years of formal instruction (not counting the current year) were in English; TOEFL and IELTS are preferred. The international page’s guidance: TOEFL 95+ (old scale) or 5.5+ (new scale), IELTS 7.5+ and Duolingo 120+ indicate strong proficiency; TOEFL 86–94 or 4.0–5.0, IELTS 6.5–7.0 and Duolingo 110–119 may suggest a need for extra support. The same page’s FAQ says the most competitive candidates score above 90 on the TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS or 120 on Duolingo; both are quoted here. SAT and ACT cannot be used for English.
• Aid: international aid is limited and review is need-aware. Aid applicants submit the CSS Profile by their application deadline (1 November for Early Decision I, 15 January for Regular and Early Decision II); the ISAFA is accepted if the $25 fee is a hardship. Merit scholarships range from $5,000 to full tuition with no separate application.
• Cost figures differ: one part of the international page says tuition, room and board can total over $98,900 a year, while its FAQ and the requirements page say upwards of $93,400; both are given here, so check Lehigh’s latest costs.
• Proof of funds: not needed at application; it is requested if you are admitted and decide to enroll.
• Fee waiver: if your family cannot contribute more than $10,000 a year and the fee is a hardship, use code INTLwaiver2027 in your application.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether or how the Gaokao is used; this is not published, so ask international admissions (luinternational@lehigh.edu).
• Transcripts: the requirements page says transcripts must carry the school seal or an official signature; for schools without a CEEB code, admissions verifies the school and may ask for a copy of the diploma. Formats for Chinese transcripts and Huikao results are not listed separately.
• IB and A-Levels: the international FAQ says IB higher-level scores of 5 or better and A-Level grades of A or B may earn credit, evaluated individually.
• Interviews: optional; register on the Visits and Campus Tours page.

8. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall entry 1 April, spring entry 1 November; financial aid deadlines are the same.
• GPA: no minimum; competitive applicants typically have 3.25 or above. SAT and ACT are not required.
• Materials: high school and college transcripts, a conduct report form and the $75 fee; a WES evaluation is required if you studied at an international institution where English was not the language of instruction.
• Credit: only courses with a C or better transfer (never a C-); quarter credits convert at 3:2; transfer grades do not count in the Lehigh GPA. The registrar and departments evaluate courses after admission.
• AP and IB (transfer page): most AP scores of 4 or 5 earn credit (Calculus AB, Chemistry and English need a 5); most IB higher-level scores of 6 or 7.
• Engineering prerequisites for transfer: the pages read do not list the mathematics and science courses needed to transfer into engineering; this is not published, so ask transfers@lehigh.edu.
• Scholarship: Phi Theta Kappa members receive $10,000 a year, renewable for eight semesters.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Decide whether to send test scores; aid applicants submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA by 1 November (ED I) or 1 February
• Name engineering as your intended course of study; choose your major during the shared first year

International applicants (including China):

• Prepare TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results; aid applicants submit the CSS Profile by the deadline
• Confirm with international admissions whether the Gaokao is used and how to send transcripts

Transfer students:

• Apply by 1 April (fall) or 1 November (spring); confirm engineering prerequisites with admissions

Sources: Lehigh University, Undergraduate engineering majors; Engineering FAQ; 2026-27 Catalog: P.C. Rossin College; Catalog: Transfer between colleges; How to apply; Admissions requirements and deadlines; International students; Transfer students; Tuition, aid and affording college. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Lehigh for the latest details.