Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [International Relations] From Lehigh University

Lehigh University Bachelor of Arts in International Relations is a four-year, full-time degree in Bethlehem for students completing 12 years of school. Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 tuition was US$69,420 (INR 66.07 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference.

The major trains students to analyse world politics through security, political economy, governance and research design. It suits applicants seeking rigorous global analysis without committing to one prescribed profession.

• The 44-credit major combines eleven International Relations courses with a required economics course.
• Lehigh houses International Relations in a dedicated department rather than treating it only as a political science track.
• Qualified seniors may complete a two-semester honours thesis after reaching the required major GPA.

Also Check: Lehigh University International Relations admission

Lehigh BA International Relations Fees 2027

Fall 2027 tuition remains unpublished after the current fee surfaces were checked. The confirmed 2026-27 amounts below are prior-cycle planning references, not 2027-28 charges.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of US$1 = INR 95.18 as of 15 June 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: Lehigh University published 2026-27 undergraduate costs.

The prior-cycle tuition produces a US$277,680 (INR 2.64 Crore) four-year planning illustration before increases. Families must replace this multiplication with published 2027-28 charges before accepting an offer.

Cost of Living in Bethlehem for IR Students

Lehigh guarantees undergraduate housing and requires four years of residence, making campus housing and meals the relevant baseline. Monthly figures below divide the published annual amounts across 12 months.

The university’s complete 2026-27 attendance estimate is US$89,820 (INR 85.49 Lakhs). Using it unchanged for four years gives a prior-cycle planning illustration of US$359,280 (INR 3.42 Crore).

That calculated figure excludes annual price increases, travel and exchange-rate movement. It therefore provides a funding stress test rather than a Fall 2027 invoice.

ROI reality: The US$89,820 (INR 85.49 Lakhs) prior-cycle estimate makes confirmed aid decisive because the major does not lead to one prescribed occupation.

Lehigh BA International Relations Admission 2027

Lehigh admits first-year students through a holistic university review. The International Relations BA publishes no separate interview, essay or course-specific grade threshold.

Academic Eligibility for Indian Applicants

International applicants must complete the equivalent of 12 years of education and qualify for university study within their home system. Lehigh decides equivalency because no course-specific Indian percentage or CGPA conversion is published.

Lehigh held a 2026 overall university position of 46 in U.S. News, but no eligible International Relations subject rank was verified. The overall position is not a programme ranking.

The curriculum rewards applicants who can connect a global question with evidence because every major studies methods and research design. Quantitative readiness also helps, since economics is compulsory and basic statistics is recommended.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants submit an English assessment unless English is their first language or their last two completed school years used English instruction. These figures are strong-readiness guidance, not minimum admission guarantees.

• Document two completed English-medium school years before relying on the instruction-based exemption.
• IELTS provides a stable published target for applicants avoiding uncertainty around the revised TOEFL scale.
• Send official results by the chosen deadline because unofficial copies are not accepted.

Tip for Indian students: Pair global interests with research evidence, while complete school records and current language scores ensure the file is review-ready.

Lehigh BA International Relations Application 2027

Fall 2027 offers two binding Early Decision routes and a non-binding Regular Decision route. Lehigh publishes each date and decision period, but no portal cutoff time.

Fall 2027 application rounds use a US$75 (INR 7,139) fee. Without a published Pennsylvania cutoff time, Indian applicants should submit before the listed date starts there.

Binding admission reduces waiting but removes comparison among later offers. Regular Decision is financially safer when 2027-28 tuition remains unpublished and a family needs to compare aid packages.

How to Position an International Relations Application

Open with one precise global problem and show how evidence changed your initial view. This approach matches a curriculum built around theory, political economy, security, governance and research design.

• Use one analytical school project to demonstrate evidence handling rather than listing international news interests.
• Explain readiness for economics because ECO 001 is a collateral requirement for every major.
• Connect debate, Model United Nations, service or language study to a specific question without inflating participation into expertise.

Check Out: study options in the United States

Application tip: Regular Decision preserves funding comparison, while Early Decision fits only families prepared to accept Lehigh’s eventual 2027-28 net cost.

Lehigh BA International Relations Scholarships 2027

No programme-specific scholarship has a confirmed Fall 2027 value and deadline. International applicants can seek limited need-based aid and merit awards, but funding must be requested during first-year admission.

Lehigh states that merit awards range from US$5,000 (INR 4.76 Lakhs) to full tuition, with no separate merit application. This cycleless published range cannot support a target-cycle net-price calculation.

Funding Routes for Indian Applicants

Applicants needing aid must submit the College Scholarship Service Profile by their admission deadline. Lehigh uses need-aware international review, so the funding request can affect selection while still remaining essential for affordability.

The emergency assistance fund does not finance tuition, computers or routine travel. It therefore cannot replace a four-year funding plan based on the complete attendance cost.

• Request need-based aid during first-year admission because unfunded international entrants cannot add it in later semesters.
• Use the same admission file for merit consideration because Lehigh publishes no separate merit form.
• Subtract only a written award from the full attendance estimate before accepting a binding offer.

Also Check: Lehigh University courses and costs

Scholarship reality: Aid must enter the first-year application, making the written net cost more important than the broad published merit range.

Lehigh BA International Relations Salary 2027

Lehigh publishes no International Relations salary or placement rate, so the closest evidence is the College of Arts and Sciences Class of 2025. These college-wide outcomes cannot predict one major’s result.

College-level outcome context measures status within six months after graduation and includes many disciplines.

The humanities salary benchmark provides financial context but still combines several majors. Lehigh identifies law, business, journalism, diplomacy, public service and academia as alumni fields without claiming placement probability.

Salary evidence below is a humanities-group average, not International Relations graduate pay.

Source: Lehigh University undergraduate outcomes and programme career descriptions.

Is the Lehigh International Relations BA Worth It?

The prior-cycle attendance budget was US$89,820 (INR 85.49 Lakhs) for one year, nearly twice the humanities salary benchmark. Payback cannot be calculated because course pay, taxes, aid and target-cycle costs remain unpublished.

• The 44-credit structure builds focused depth, so map security, political economy or governance coursework to a defined role before enrolling.
• Research design creates transferable evidence, so preserve methods projects as writing and analysis samples for employers or graduate programmes.
• The 52% employment share covers the entire college, so never treat it as an International Relations placement probability.
• The 12-month work window increases timing risk, so pursue course-related internships before the final year.

US take-home income varies with federal tax, Pennsylvania’s 3.07% state tax and work location. Apply an official tax calculator to an actual offer rather than treating gross humanities pay as disposable income.

ROI reality: The degree is easier to justify with substantial aid and a defined sector, while absent course-level salary evidence makes debt-heavy funding risky.

US Visa for Lehigh International Relations Students 2027

International students normally use the F-1 visa, followed by OPT (Optional Practical Training) for up to 12 months of course-related work. The BA lacks a confirmed STEM designation, so do not budget around the 24-month extension.

• OPT employment must relate to International Relations, making research, policy, communications or programme-analysis evidence important when documenting relevance.
• An H-1B role may require at least US$60,000 (INR 57.11 Lakhs), but salary alone does not establish occupation eligibility or sponsorship.
• F-2 dependants may accompany the student, while permanent residence requires a separate qualifying family or employment pathway.
• Mandatory health insurance remains separate from immigration work eligibility and must stay in the funding plan.

Visa reality: A 12-month OPT window rewards early internship development because the International Relations BA does not support a confirmed extended work period.