Lehigh University
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE UNIVERSITY'S GOAL IN THE COMING DECADE IS TO ADVANCE LEARNING THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF TEACHING, RESEARCH AND SERVICE TO OTHERS. THE CORE OF THIS GOAL IS TO PREPARE GRADUATES TO ENGAGE WITH THE WORLD AND LEAD LIVES OF MEANING. TO DO THIS, THE UNIVERSITY COMMITS TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROMINENCE; PROVIDE LEARNING EXPERIENCES GROUNDED IN FUNDAMENTAL, TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES AND IN REAL WORLD CHALLENGES; PROMOTE STRATEGIC RISK-TAKING IN THE PRESENCE OF OPPORTUNITY AND ADVERSITY; SUPPORT SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY; PROVIDE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALUMNI, SUPPORTERS, AND CITIZENS AROUND THE GLOBE; PROVIDE A ROBUST RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT IN A LEHIGH EDUCATION; AND PROMOTE A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT.
- Income
- $840.1 million
- Spending
- $731.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 7.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 60%
- Employees
- 1,964
- Volunteers
- 1,415
- Highest pay
- $1.4 million, chief investment off.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 28 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $463.1 million spent. INSTRUCTION: LEHIGH IS AN INDEPENDENT, COEDUCATIONAL UNIVERSITY WITH PROGRAMS OFFERED IN FOUR COLLEGES: ARTS AND SCIENCES, BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, AND ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MINDSET HAS LONG BEEN A PART OF THE LEHIGH CULTURE AND IS EVIDENT IN THE UNIVERSITY'S APPROACH TO TEACHING AND RESEARCH. LEHIGH'S UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WORK IN A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHERE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH FACULTY, STAFF AND FELLOW STUDENTS IN A PERSONALIZED SETTING. LEHIGH UNIVERSITY COMPRISES FIVE COLLEGES, FOUR OF WHICH CONFER UNDERGRADUATE, MASTER'S, AND DOCTORAL DEGREES. THE FIFTH COLLEGE OFFERS GRADUATE-LEVEL PROGRAMS ONLY, INCLUDING BOTH MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES. ALL FIVE COLLEGES ACTIVELY COLLABORATE ON CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND FACULTY RESEARCH INITIATIVES, LEHIGH OFFERS APPROXIMATELY 60 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE DEGREES AND OFFERS MORE THAN 100 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS AND MAJORS, FEATURING MORE THAN 2,100 COURSES. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 90 PROGRAMS OFFERED AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL. IN THE FALL OF 2024, LEHIGH UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT WAS 5,878 FTE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND 1,373 FTE GRADUATE STUDENTS."
- $71.1 million spent. RESEARCH: LEHIGH IS COMMITTED TO THE PURSUIT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE, CREATIVE DISCOVERY, SCHOLARLY INQUIRY, AND ESTABLISHING A VIBRANT INTELLECTUAL CULTURE THAT PERVADES THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY. FACULTY RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY BY HIGH HONORS FROM PEERS, SIGNIFICANT GRANTS AND FUNDING, PATENTS GRANTED, AND NUMEROUS AND VARIED AWARDS. LEHIGH FACULTY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ADVANCEMENTS IN THEIR DISCIPLINES AND HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF MAJOR DISCOVERIES THAT HAVE IMPROVED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS. THIS SCHOLARLY INQUIRY AND RESEARCH POSITIVELY IMPACTS AND ENHANCES THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM. TOGETHER WITH TRADITIONAL FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES, APPROXIMATELY 660 ACTIVELY SUPPORTED RESEARCH PROJECTS WERE CONDUCTED IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
- $67.0 million spent. AUXILIARY SERVICES: STUDENT LIFE AT LEHIGH CREATES A BALANCED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT INTEGRATES FORMAL STUDIES WITH RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND A VIBRANT ARRAY OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES. LEHIGH IS A CARING COMMUNITY DEEPLY COMMITTED TO HARMONIOUS CULTURAL DIVERSITY AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. IN ORDER THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEHIGH COMMUNITY MIGHT DEVELOP AS EFFECTIVE AND ENLIGHTENED CITIZENS, THE UNIVERSITY ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS RIGOROUS INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, APPROXIMATELY 3,907 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS RESIDED IN RESIDENCE HALLS, FRATERNITIES OR SORORITIES AND APPROXIMATELY 212 RESIDENTS OCCUPIED GRADUATE HOUSING ON LEHIGH'S CAMPUS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1938.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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