Angela Reppert, Campus President | LinkedIn
Angela Reppert, Campus President | LinkedIn
Data shows that students paid $25,556 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $1,026 more than the previous school year.
Among the 13 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, Muhlenberg College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $58,205. Cedar Crest College followed with an average of $43,643 per year. Miller-Motte College-McCann-Allentown students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $5,000.
At the time, at least $44.5 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Lehigh County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $16.2 million.
Currently there are 14 higher education institutions in Lehigh County, including Lincoln Technical Institute-Allentown, Cedar Crest College, and Falcon Institute of Health and Science.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 14 institutions in Lehigh County, St Lukes Hospital School of Nursing did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triangle Tech Inc-Bethlehem | 19 | $130,725 | $6,880 | 14 | $90,840 | $6,489 |
| Empire Beauty School-Lehigh Valley | 34 | $182,266 | $5,361 | 39 | $315,045 | $8,078 |
| Welder Training and Testing Institute | 25 | $235,750 | $9,430 | 32 | $222,500 | $6,953 |
| Lehigh Carbon Community College | 463 | $2,882,668 | $6,226 | 239 | $1,390,922 | $5,820 |
| The Beauty Institute | 150 | $721,000 | $4,807 | 150 | $1,650,000 | $11,000 |
| Miller-Motte College-McCann-Allentown | 99 | $481,689 | $4,866 | 99 | $576,897 | $5,827 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley | 188 | $1,524,363 | $8,108 | 131 | $897,491 | $6,851 |
| Falcon Institute of Health and Science | 80 | $464,671 | $5,808 | 102 | $1,038,369 | $10,180 |
| Muhlenberg College | 415 | $17,438,891 | $42,021 | 358 | $2,633,616 | $7,356 |
| St Lukes Hospital School of Nursing | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| DeSales University | 505 | $14,538,211 | $28,789 | 373 | $4,129,034 | $11,070 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Allentown | 368 | $1,454,922 | $3,954 | 323 | $2,107,367 | $6,524 |
| Metro Beauty Academy | 8 | $39,060 | $4,883 | 16 | $151,084 | $9,443 |
| Cedar Crest College | 132 | $4,386,905 | $33,234 | 117 | $1,040,878 | $8,896 |
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