Lehigh University is a university based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (within 75 miles (120 km) of Philadelphia and New York City).

Founded in 1865, it is a coeducational, private university offering Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees, notably in the arts, sciences, engineering, business administration, education and philosophy. It has nearly 5,000 undergraduates, almost 2,000 graduate students, and almost 600 professors, yielding a 10-1 student-faculty ratio.

When Asa Packer founded Lehigh University, one of his objectives was to provide a well rounded education for young students which combined a liberal and scientific education with the necessary technical skills to increase the prosperity of the region. According to William Bacon Stevens, the first president of the board of trustees, his founding gift of $500,000 was the largest single endowment for a literary institution at that time.

The school's sports teams have been traditionally called the Engineers. In 1995, the Mountain Hawk mascot was introduced. Their colors are brown and white. They mostly compete for NCAA's Division I (Division I-AA for football) in the Patriot League, though the wrestling team competes in the EIWA.

Lehigh, traditionally known as a strong engineering school, also has an excellent performing arts center (Zoellner Art Center) where renowned artists from all over the world perform regularly. The annual gala is typically held in the summer months and attracts a large audience from the valley area.