Which is better for undergraduate research, the University of Maryland or Lehigh University?

The main tradeoff is research scale versus day-to-day faculty access: Maryland has a far larger research ecosystem and many more labs, while Lehigh’s smaller undergraduate setting can make it easier to build relationships with professors early. Maryland’s location near Washington, D.C. also connects students to federal agencies and research institutions, particularly in fields such as engineering, computing, public policy, health, and the sciences. Lehigh offers substantial research in its own right, but its opportunities are concentrated in a smaller number of departments and labs.

At Maryland, undergraduates can enter research through programs such as FIRE, which introduces first-year students to team-based research, then continue through departmental labs, honors programs, and summer opportunities. The breadth is a real advantage for a student who is still exploring: changing interests from neuroscience to cybersecurity, for example, is less likely to limit the number of available labs. The drawback is that students often need to be proactive about contacting faculty and distinguishing themselves in a large university environment.

Lehigh can offer a more direct path to faculty-led work, especially for students who want close mentorship and are willing to approach professors early. Smaller classes can also make it easier for a professor to know your work well enough to invite you into a project.

For the specific question of access to faculty research as an undergraduate, Lehigh has a slight edge because personal connections may form more quickly. Maryland is the stronger choice for a student seeking the widest possible range of research areas, major research infrastructure, and external opportunities in the D.C. region.