International Students and Scholars

Academic Year 2022-2023

Fall semester: August 22 - December 14, 2022

Spring semester: January 23 - May 17, 2023
 

Academic Year 2023-2024

Fall semester: August 28 - December 20, 2023
Application deadline: April 1, 2023

Spring semester: January 24 - May 18, 2024
Application deadline: November 1, 2023

Academic Year 2024-2025

Fall semester: August 26 - December 18, 2024
Application deadline: April 1, 2024

Spring semester: January 20 - May 14, 2025
Application deadline: November 1, 2024

Students are accepted for exchange on a rolling basis. Interested students should contact their home campus exchange advisor and request to be nominated to participate in the exchange program. 

Applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores to be considered for admission.

TOEFL score requirements:

Reading: 24
Listening: 17
Speaking: 24
Writing: 25

TOTAL SCORE: 90

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

• Evidence of successful completion of an 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

International Student Orientation for Fall 2025 students is from August 18-20. Orientation is mandatory for incoming exchange students and there is a $200 orientation fee. In addition to the mandatory international orientation from OISS, exchange students also have an exchange student orientation which they will receive information about.

Exchange 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

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

Arrival information for the 2023-2024 academic year will be posted soon. 

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.

Housing needs are automatically considered upon acceptance of the exchange student by their academic department, and Lehigh will make every effort to accommodate all incoming exchange students who choose on-campus housing. Exchange students who live on campus are housed in one of the 14 themed residential communities. Students who are accepted for exchange will be contacted by Residential Services to make their housing request. You may not withdraw your housing contract once you have submitted it.

Living Costs

These are estimated living costs for exchange students studying at Lehigh. Please note that all costs are approximate and in U.S. dollars.

• Housing prices per semester: $4,675 - $5,440
• Meal plan (required for on-campus housing): $2,980 - $3,730
• Mandatory health insurance (22-23 costs listed here; anticipate increase): $2,259* for academic year, $866* for fall semester only, $1,403* for spring semester only. *Subject to change
• Books and class reading materials: $500 per semester
• Local transportation: Varies depending on travel preferences
• Activity fee: $130/semester
• Wellness fee: $105/semester
• Mandatory International Orientation fee: $160

Paying for Your Stay

Exchange 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.

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

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.

Academic advising: Students are assigned a faculty member in their major area who will be their adviser for their duration at Lehigh, unless the student prefers to request a specific faculty member to act as his or her advisor.

The Office of International Students and Scholars runs events and programming for all international students, including exchange students.

Computer 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.