Fordham vs Lehigh for engineering: which is the better choice for an undergraduate engineering major?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Lehigh has a long-established, full engineering school with a deeper undergraduate engineering ecosystem, while Fordham is far more limited on the engineering side and is better known for other fields. If your priority is the strength of the undergraduate engineering experience itself, Lehigh has the clearer advantage. It offers multiple traditional engineering majors, dedicated labs and design spaces, and a campus culture where engineering is a central academic focus rather than a smaller add-on.

For academic support, Lehigh is better positioned for engineering students because the advising, course sequencing, faculty research, and student organizations are built around engineers from the start. That matters in a major where prerequisites stack quickly and access to hands-on projects, team design work, and faculty mentorship can shape both learning and recruiting.

On internships, Fordham’s New York City location is a real asset in some industries, but location alone does not outweigh the structure of the engineering program. For engineering, that built-in pipeline often matters more than being in a major city.

Fordham can make sense if you are not fully committed to engineering or if you want a broader university experience centered more on liberal arts or business with access to New York. But if you are confident that engineering is your path and you want the stronger undergraduate program, Lehigh is the more convincing choice.