Lehigh vs United States Air Force Academy

Lehigh University and the United States Air Force Academy stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. Lehigh, a private research university, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, while the Air Force Academy, a federal service academy, emphasizes leadership development and prepares cadets for careers as Air Force officers. With acceptance rates of 29% and 13%, respectively, these institutions cater to different applicant pools. Lehigh's popular majors include engineering, business, and the humanities, while the Air Force Academy focuses on STEM fields and military science. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including student demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.
Lehigh University logo

Lehigh University

United States Air Force Academy logo

United States Air Force Academy

Overview

Location Bethlehem, Pennsylvania USAF Academy, Colorado
Campus setting City: Small Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 93.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 46.0% 12.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1325 - 1490 1208 - 1490
ACT range 30 - 34 29 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 36.0% 35.0%
Students submitting ACT score 18.0% 21.0%
Total number of applicants 14,107 11,687
Total number of admissions given out 6,485 1,453
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,519 1,091
Yield rate 23.4% 75.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $74,865
Average net price $31,539
Tuition $56,980
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,030

Meal plan: $6,300
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

54.0%
Average amount $39,972
Students receiving federal student loan 41.0%
Average amount $4,954
Students taking out private loans 19.0%
Average amount $12,089

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,451
Men 54.0% Women 46.0%
4,181
Men 71.4% Women 28.6%
Graduate students 1,812
Men 53.1% Women 46.9%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
N/A
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 13.6% N/A
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,856 4,200
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 87.3% 86.1%
Dropout rate 12.4% 13.9%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,409
  • Year 2: $74,142
  • Year 3: $96,587
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,252
  • Year 2: $78,552
  • Year 3: $94,991
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,434
  • Year 2: $81,491
  • Year 3: $93,797
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,418
  • Year 2: $73,446
  • Year 3: $87,192
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,069
  • Year 2: $75,623
  • Year 3: $86,603
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,293
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $86,360
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,520
  • Year 2: $70,324
  • Year 3: $83,095
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,490
  • Year 2: $71,351
  • Year 3: $82,322
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,444
  • Year 2: $72,325
  • Year 3: $80,631
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,497
  • Year 2: $69,710
  • Year 3: $80,502
N/A