International Students and Scholars

Academic Year 2026-2027

Fall semester: August 24 - December 16, 2026
Orientation begins on August 17, 2026

• Nomination deadline: 15 February 2026
• Application deadline: 1 March 2026
• Acceptance by: 15 March 2026
• Commitment by: 30 March 2026
   

Spring semester: January 25 - May 19, 2027
Orientation begins on January 21, 2027

• Nomination deadline: 15 September 2026
• Application deadline: 1 October 2026
• Acceptance by: 15 October 2026
• Commitment by: 1 November 2026
   

Interested students should contact their home campus exchange advisor and request to be nominated to participate in the exchange program.  Upon nomination, the GEL-I program advisor at Lehigh will open an application. Students will receive an email with link and  login information.

Eligibility:

• Must be enrolled as full-time student at a partner institution of Lehigh University.
• Completed a minimum of 1 year of University level coursework (by the time s/he starts at Lehigh)
• A cumulative GPA of 2.7 or above on a 4.0 scale; or its equivalent

Application Documents Required:

• Academic Transcript

• Statement of Purpose 

• 1 Letter of Recommendation (LoR) 

• Documentation of English proficiency at level that will support success in Lehigh courses - see section below for required documentation

Admission Process:

• Applications are reviewed by the College/Department of Study
• Acceptance Letters sent directly to the students
• Accepted students will be provided with a username, email address, and Lehigh Identification number (LIN)
• Accepted  students will be connected with their assigned academic advisor and the International Office.
• Accepted students will be provided with online course registration instructions.

To be considered for undergraduate admissions, all applicants to Lehigh University must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to communicate effectively on campus.

If applicants have not successfully completed a minimum of four consecutive years of education in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Northern Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, where English is the primary language of instruction, they should submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (maximum 2 years old). Other English-dominant contexts (e.g., India, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.) may be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type of successfully completed program curriculum at the host institution, particularly if other supporting documentation is provided (e.g., official letter from the school, publications/presentations in English).

Applicants who wish to waive the TOEFL or IELTS requirement must provide at least four of the following six options:

• Evidence of successful completion of an advanced English language course;
• Evidence of successful completion of three years at a U.S. school;
• Written confirmation that English is the country's dominant language;
• Evidence of successful completion of IB, AP, or A-level program, or SAT verbal score about 620;
• An English language writing sample;
• Participation in a Skype interview/placement test.

Students will receive information from the Office of International Students and Scholars regarding the mandatory International Student Orientation.  The GEL program will also have an orientation which may include activities from the First Year Experience Orientation program.  Orientation is mandatory and there is a $200 orientation fee.  Details about orientation activities will be provided to all incoming exchange students.

Exchange (GEL-I) students are required to have insurance during their stay in the U.S. and studies at Lehigh University. Coverage for a comprehensive set of services includes doctors’ visits, hospital admissions, day surgery, emergency services, mental health and substance abuse, and prescription drug coverage. Lehigh requires all students on an F-1 or J-1 visa to be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan, administered by University Health Plans, Inc. (select “Lehigh University”). Waivers of this requirement are available in very limited situations as detailed on this page.

All J-1 visa holders are required by U.S. federal law to carry medical insurance including coverage for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains for the full duration of the J-1 exchange visitor program. The minimum requirements are:

• medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness (with a deductible that does not exceed $500 per accident or illness)
• repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000
• expenses associated with the medical evacuation to home country in the amount of $50,000

Arrival information will be communicated to accepted students.

For students living on campus, arrival dates usually depend on dorm check-in dates. 

Students living off campus and arranging their own housing can arrive up to 30 days prior to the start of classes, as per the J-1 visa regulations.

Learn more about arriving at Lehigh.

Exchange (GEL-I) students have the option to live on-campus or off-campus.  

On-Campus

Undergraduate students are guaranteed fully furnished accommodations on campus.. Upperclassmen Housing or upper-Class Themed Housing Communities.  

Graduate students are not guaranteed housing on campus. Please see the Graduate Housing Lottery. Students can apply but may need to make off campus arrangements for their time at Lehigh.

Off-campus

Off campus housing 

It is important to review the information provided by Housing Services to consider all variables and be well informed.

Here are resources to look for off-campus housing:

• Grad Life Office Facebook page. Many students will post here when they are looking for roommates (on and off campus), so this can be a good place to check.
• Places4students.  This service is offered free to Lehigh students but Lehigh does not endorse, sponsor or vet properties associated with this service. 

Living Costs

These are estimated living costs (based on 2024-25 AY) for exchange (GEL-I) students studying at Lehigh. Please note that all costs are approximate and in U.S. dollars.

Estimated full costs per Term:

• Academic Year - $27,500.00
• Fall Semester - $14,000.00
• Spring Semester - $15,000.00

See breakdown below: 

Please note: this estimate does not include general start-up costs such as transportation to Lehigh, decorations and supplies for your residence hall, etc.:

• University Housing prices per semester: $6,145 - $6,670
• Meal plan (required for on-campus housing): $3,350 - $4,450
• (off campus housing prices vary and not billed by Lehigh)
• Mandatory health insurance (26 - 27 costs listed here; anticipate increase):
  • $2,745* for academic year
  • $1052* for fall semester only
  • $1,703* for spring semester only. 
    *Subject to change
• Mandatory Activity fee: $145/semester
• Mandatory Wellness fee: $125/semester
• Mandatory International Orientation fee: $200
• Optional Learning Unlimited
• Incidentals (estimated): $1500.00**

• Local transportation: Varies depending on travel preferences
  ** Incidentals include an estimated amount for books and personal expenses. This estimate does not include the cost of travel to Lehigh.

  ** Please note: this estimate does not include general start-up costs such as transportation to Lehigh, decorations and supplies for your residence hall, etc.  

Paying for Your Stay

Exchange (GEL-I) students will need to set up and use their Lehigh email address upon acceptance, as they will receive important email notifications about paying their housing and meal plan bill.

A payment plan is available. The deadline to participate is July 1 (for fall semester) and December 1 (for spring semester). If exchange students wish to pay in full, that payment must be made before arrival to campus.

Failure to set up a payment plan or pay in full before arrival to campus will affect registration for classes.

For more information, visit the Bursar's Office website.

Language of instruction: English

Class format: Lectures, discussions, papers, presentations, projects.

Attendance: Required; typically influences final grade.

Participation: In-class participation is usually expected, except for large lectures.

Grading: 4.0 scale; A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F. Typically based on several components (papers, quizzes, homework, attendance, projects, etc.)

Class size: Depends on the class level and department. 100-level courses are typically larger lectures. 200- and 300-level courses are typically smaller (up to 40 students).

Course load: 4-5 classes; 12-16 credits. Only 1 class (up to 3 credits) can be taken in an online format.

Course choices: Exchange students can take most undergraduate courses as long as they meet the prerequisite requirements and there are vacancies available in those courses. Graduate-level courses are subject to availability and department approval.

Restrictions: Business College - Due to very limited capacity for Finance and Accounting courses, it is unlikely to enroll in those courses.  Courses will be limited to Management, Business Analytics, Marketing and Economics. Registration for business courses will take place after all Lehigh students have registered so options are more limited.

Examinations: Format of exams varies. Exams are administered the last nine days of each semester.

Majors and programs: Lehigh offers more than 100 majors and programs.

Exchange (GEL-I) Students are a part of the Global Exchange Lehigh (GEL) program with a dedicated program manager.  This GEL Network connects and engages both our GEL-I students and our GEL-O (Lehigh outbound exchange) students.  Together students will participate in customized intercultural programming, workshops, special events and trips at Lehigh.  

The Office of International Students and Scholars offers events and programming for all international students, including exchange (GEL-I) students.

Academic advising: Exchange (GEL-I) Students are assigned a faculty or professional staff advisor in their assigned college who will be their adviser for their duration at Lehigh.

Computing services: Computing facilities are found all around campus, and all students have email accounts, access to online libraries and journals, online registration, etc.

On-campus facilities: With an ID card, students can use all sporting and athletic facilities, receive free and discounted tickets to events at Zoellner Arts Center, and receive free general medical treatment, counseling, lectures, trips, etc. There are also numerous student clubs and organizations including academic, cultural, linguistic, political, athletic, recreational and social. Learn more about student life at Lehigh here.