Lehigh University Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

61.1 of 100

Cost (20%)

0.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

10.0 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.7 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

0.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

6.8 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.8 of 10

Format

On Campus

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

AACSB Accounting

Accounting accreditation listed by AACSB

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 8, 2026.

Lehigh sends most of its accounting majors into a summer internship after junior year, and recruiters have named it a "key school" for accounting. Three concentrations let you aim at public accounting, corporate finance or IT risk before senior year.

The Department of Accounting in Lehigh University's College of Business offers the Bachelor of Science in Business with an accounting major. Lehigh is a private university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Classes meet in person on campus.

• If you're aiming for the Big 4, the department says many graduates start in public accounting, often at the large international firms.
• If you're a future certified public accountant (CPA) candidate, you can take the Public Accounting Assurance and Tax Services concentration with income tax, auditing and advanced financial accounting.
• If you're drawn to finance, you can pair accounting with Investments and Corporate Financial Policy.
• If you're interested in technology risk, the Information Technology concentration offers auditing and data analytics.
• If you like clubs and visiting speakers, Beta Alpha Psi sponsors guest speakers from the accounting profession.

You start with Introduction to Financial Accounting and Introduction to Managerial Accounting, which cover the accounting cycle, financial statements, budgeting and cost behavior. Junior year brings Intermediate Accounting I and II, Accounting Information Systems and Advanced Managerial Accounting.

Intermediate Accounting digs into investments, liabilities, leases, pensions and income taxes. Senior year is a three-course concentration, and one course must be accounting. The Information Technology concentration includes Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in Accounting, a project-based course.

The for-credit Accounting Internship course, ACCT 373, ends with a capstone report.

The accounting major is 21 credits: four junior core courses and a three-course concentration. You take the core in junior year and the concentration in senior year. Two sophomore courses, Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting, come first as business core prerequisites. Sophomore year brings firm-run leadership programs and externships. Most students intern the summer after junior year.

You'd pay about $2,660 per credit, according to Lehigh. Internships carry course credit through ACCT 373, so the work experience counts toward your degree.

Everything runs on the Lehigh campus in Bethlehem. You attend classes in person, and classes past the intro level are small. The Segal Accounting Distinguished Speaker Series, established in 2003, brings accounting leaders to campus to talk with students and faculty.

The College of Business holds AACSB accreditation, and the department notes the accounting accreditation places it in a small group of schools. Graduates have the background to take professional accounting exams. The Public Accounting Assurance and Tax Services concentration is described as the track that prepares you for the CPA exam.

A tax planning course is also pitched at CPA exam readiness. Faculty include CPAs. One Professor of Practice also holds chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified fraud examiner (CFE), certified information systems auditor (CISA) and certified anti-money laundering specialist (CAMS) credentials.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Students on Niche in 2026 describe small classes past the intro level and close ties with professors. They also point to a strong alumni network and an engaged career center. A 2023 Reddit commenter said Lehigh is very good at sending graduates to the Big 4 for accounting and consulting.

A College Confidential poster in 2021 said recruiters know Lehigh for rigor and graduates with a strong work ethic. The department says its alumni include partners at international professional services firms and chief financial officers at major industrial firms.

• Which of the three concentrations do most students pick, and where do they intern?
• How does the sophomore externship work, and which firms host it?
• Does the Public Accounting Assurance and Tax Services concentration line up with the credits your state requires for the CPA?
• How is the ACCT 373 internship credit arranged with a faculty sponsor?

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