Lehigh Undergraduate Business (Career Outcomes)
Lehigh’s College of Business awards a Bachelor of Science in Business and offers a path into a range of business careers. The best choice depends on your academic interests, career plans, and likely cost, not a headline employment rate. Check the current degree requirements and career report, then weigh those facts against your own goals and financial aid.
Choosing a business program can feel like choosing a career before you know what you want to do. You do not have to make that decision all at once. A stronger starting point is to ask whether Lehigh’s business curriculum, learning opportunities, and likely cost fit the options you want to keep open.
In advising students, I often see one question get buried under rankings: “What will I actually study, and how will that help me after college?” To answer it, look at the degree itself, the course plan for your entry year, and the way Lehigh reports outcomes for recent graduates. A strong career statistic is useful only when you know who it describes and how it was measured.
Lehigh Business Admissions and Program Overview
Lehigh University’s College of Business offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Business. Lehigh is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and its College of Business holds AACSB accreditation. Check the relevant official directories for current status, and use Lehigh’s admissions pages for application rules that apply to your cycle.
As a first-year applicant, review the application schedule, required materials, and testing policy on Lehigh’s admissions website. Published schedules have included November 1 for Early Decision I and January 1 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision, but dates can change. Early Decision is binding if you are admitted, so understand its terms and your family’s financial plan before applying.
There is no single GPA that guarantees admission. Lehigh evaluates applicants through its published admissions process, and a strong application is more than a number. Prepare for challenging high-school courses, including quantitative subjects, and show sustained effort in activities that matter to you. Business interest can come through work, community involvement, a school project, or another real commitment; it does not require a formal business club.
For a transfer applicant, admission and degree planning are separate questions. Ask Lehigh to assess course equivalencies and confirm which requirements remain. Do not assume that credits accepted by the university will automatically meet a particular business requirement.
Bachelor of Science in Business: Curriculum, Credits, and Degree Requirements
A degree plan is the set of courses and other requirements you must complete to graduate. Lehigh’s BS in Business requirements depend on the applicable catalog year, so do not rely on an old course list or assume every student follows the same sequence. Confirm your catalog, degree audit, prerequisites, and advising guidance after enrollment.
A bachelor’s degree often combines major courses with broader academic requirements, but the exact mix and credit total must come from Lehigh’s current catalog. For this program, check the catalog and your official degree audit rather than using a general credit estimate. The audit shows how completed and planned courses apply to your specific requirements.
Before you commit, review the curriculum in this order:
- Required business courses: Identify the core courses all students must complete and note prerequisites.
- Choice within the degree: Confirm which electives, majors, or other options are available in your catalog year.
- Experiential requirements: Check whether the program requires particular projects or learning experiences.
- Course sequence: Find out when courses are offered and whether a missed prerequisite could delay later courses.
- Degree progress: Ask how your transfer, placement, or prior college credits will count, if relevant.
This is where the BS label needs context. It identifies the degree Lehigh awards, but it does not tell you every course you will take or lock you into one job. Read the required courses and available choices to see how the program balances business study with other academic interests.
Academic Success, Experiential Learning, and Student Experience
Academic success means more than completing a list of courses. It also involves planning prerequisites, using advising, and finding ways to apply what you learn. Review Lehigh’s current program information to understand its experiential-learning expectations, available student resources, and course choices before you build your own plan.
Business courses may involve data, written analysis, presentations, teamwork, or case work. Your actual experience depends on the courses you take and the current curriculum, so ask an adviser or department representative for examples rather than assuming every class uses the same approach.
A practical first-year plan is to meet an academic adviser, map out required courses, and ask how electives fit your interests. If you are considering another field, ask how you can explore it without delaying business requirements. For transfer students, request a course-by-course review early. A credit that counts toward graduation may not replace a specific business course.
Experiential learning can help connect classroom work to career interests. Ask what opportunities are open to undergraduates, how students find them, and whether any are required. Lehigh’s career services and employer engagement can be part of your plan, but access to an opportunity is not a guarantee of an internship or job.
Career Pathways, Internship Access, and Employment Outcomes
Career outcomes describe what graduates do after college, based on information collected by the university. Lehigh’s latest College of Business first-destination report is the key source for program-level employment and continuing-education results. Read its cohort, response rate, survey window, and category definitions before using any percentage or salary figure.
A business degree can support different career directions, but a program-wide report does not show that each student will enter the same field. Students’ results may differ by major or course choices, work experience, industry, location, and the job market. Use possible pathways as questions to investigate, not as promised destinations.
| What to check | Why it matters | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Graduating cohort | Results describe a particular class, not every future graduate. | Which graduating year does the report cover? |
| Response rate | A result based on respondents may not represent all graduates. | How many graduates responded, and how many were surveyed? |
| Survey window | Job searches and education plans change over time. | When was information collected? |
| Outcome definitions | “Employed” and “continuing education” can have specific meanings. | What counts in each category? |
| Salary information | Pay varies by role, industry, location, and who reported it. | Is the figure a mean or median, and how many people reported pay? |
The table gives you a way to assess evidence, not a claim about a particular outcome. Find the latest official report and write down its figures and definitions before comparing Lehigh with another program. If the report does not state a detail you need, ask the College of Business how it defines and collects that information.
A practical comparison for two applicants
These examples are illustrative, not actual student cases or outcome guarantees. One applicant may want a broad business foundation while exploring several fields. Another may already have a career area in mind and want to check whether Lehigh’s courses and experiences support that interest. Both should read the same catalog and report, then ask different questions about fit.
| Applicant’s situation | Useful next step |
|---|---|
| “I am undecided among several business careers.” | Compare required courses and elective choices; ask how students explore different fields. |
| “I have a career area in mind.” | Check relevant coursework and internship or employer-engagement options, then review outcomes by category if reported. |
| “I am transferring.” | Request an official equivalency review and a remaining-requirements plan. |
| “My family is concerned about cost.” | Compare a net price estimate and aid offer with the likely borrowing need, not just tuition. |
Cost, Value, and a Step-by-Step Decision
Net price is the amount you may pay after grants and scholarships are applied; it is different from the published price. Compare your estimated net cost and actual aid offer with your likely borrowing needs. Do not treat an employment rate or salary figure as proof that a degree will repay a specific student’s cost.
Before applying or enrolling, work through these steps:
- Confirm the program and admissions rules. Check the current application deadline, testing policy, and required materials. If considering Early Decision, review its binding terms.
- Estimate cost. Use Lehigh’s net price calculator, then compare its estimate with your aid offer when available. Include likely borrowing and ask how costs may change over your planned time to graduate.
- Verify the degree plan. Use the catalog for your entry year and ask how courses, prerequisites, electives, and experiences fit together.
- Check outcomes carefully. Find the latest first-destination report. Record the cohort, response rate, survey period, and definitions before interpreting its figures.
- Plan for career preparation. Ask how students learn about internships, employer events, and career advising. Start exploring early, but do not count an opportunity as guaranteed.
The right fit is not simply the school with the strongest-looking headline number. It is the program whose academic requirements, career support, and net cost make sense for your goals and circumstances. Keep copies of the catalog, cost estimate, aid offer, and outcomes report so your decision rests on comparable evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers address common questions about Lehigh’s business degree and career prospects. For exact requirements, deadlines, accreditation status, and recent outcomes, use the university’s current official records. Individual results depend on a student’s program, choices, and circumstances.
What undergraduate business degree does Lehigh award?
Lehigh’s undergraduate business program awards a Bachelor of Science in Business.
Is Lehigh’s College of Business AACSB-accredited?
The College of Business holds AACSB accreditation. Confirm its current status in AACSB’s accredited-school directory.
Is Lehigh University institutionally accredited?
Lehigh is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Check MSCHE’s institution directory for current status.
What jobs can I get with a Lehigh business degree?
The degree can support different business career paths, but no job is guaranteed. Review Lehigh’s latest first-destination report and ask how its categories relate to your interests.
What is Lehigh business graduates’ employment rate?
Use the latest official report rather than an unsourced or old figure. Check the graduating cohort, response rate, survey window, and definition of employment before interpreting a percentage.
Does Lehigh guarantee a job or salary after graduation?
No. Employment and salary depend on many factors, and a cohort-level report is not a personal guarantee.
How many credits are required for the business degree?
Check the current catalog for your entry year and your official degree audit. Do not rely on a credit total from another catalog year.
Can transfer students use previous courses toward the business degree?
Some courses may apply, but the result depends on Lehigh’s evaluation. Request an official equivalency review and confirm which requirements remain.
What should I review before applying?
Check the cycle-specific deadline, testing policy, required materials, and Early Decision terms. Also estimate your net cost and review the degree and outcomes information.
How should I compare Lehigh with another business school?
Compare degree requirements, available learning experiences, accreditation status, net cost, and outcomes reports measured on similar terms. A single placement or salary figure is not enough.
What is the best next step if I am undecided about a business career?
Read the curriculum and ask how students explore different fields through courses, advising, and career resources. Choose based on the options you want to keep open, not pressure to name one job now.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Matthew Ellison. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
