Northampton County’s growing population, estimated at 273,000 in 2002, is served by ten public school districts, with the Bethlehem Area School District being the largest. In addition, two career and technology centers (AVTS) serve the high school students and adult learners in Northampton County. The Diocese of Allentown provides parochial education throughout Northampton County. Four significant colleges and universities are located in the county – Lafayette, Lehigh, Moravian, and Northampton County Community College.
Because the leaders in the Lehigh Valley are acutely aware of the advantages of a well-educated, well-trained workforce, the educational infrastructure of Northampton County has strong ties to business and industry; thanks in great part to the Lehigh Valley Business/ Education Partnership.
In addition to the five exceptional campuses that are located here in Northampton County, residents of the Lehigh Valley have numerous other colleges and universities available to them within easy commuting distance. These fine schools include: Albright College and Alvernia College in Reading, Kutztown University in Kutztown, Penn State Berks Lehigh Campus outside of Reading, The Career Institute of Technology in Easton, Cedar Crest College in Allentown, and DeSales University in Center Valley.
The Lehigh Valley contains a number of highly adaptive training facilities, such as the Career Institute of Technology in Easton, the Bethlehem Culinary Institute, the Bethlehem Conservatory of Music, and the nearby Allentown Business School, Allentown School of Cosmetology and the Baum School of Art. These centers provide everything from basic employment skills to specialized technical instruction, as well as routinely tailor-made training programs for individual businesses and industries.
Northampton County Colleges & Universities
Lafayette College, Easton, PA
The citizens of Easton, Pennsylvania founded Lafayette College in 1826, naming their college after one of the heroes of the Revolutionary War – Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette College, with a student population of just under 2,300, offers 43 areas of academic study and Bachelor of Arts degrees in 32 fields, a BS (Bachelor of Science) in nine fields of science and four fields of engineering.
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Asa Packer, who built the Lehigh Valley Railroad and controlled a coal-mining empire in Eastern Pennsylvania, 
was responsible for the creation of Lehigh University in 1869 with his generous gift of $500,000. Today, with more than 6,500 students, Lehigh University is ranked as one of the very best private universities in the nation. Lehigh combines the power of a leading research university with the personal approach of a smaller college. Lehigh offers its students four individual colleges, 38 research centers, nearly 400 world-class faculty members, and nationally recognized academic programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Northampton County Community College,
Bethlehem, PA
Northampton County Community College, sponsored by the citizens of Northampton County, is one of the Commonwealth’s oldest and largest community colleges. Located on an attractive campus in Bethlehem, NCC offers its students – hundreds of teen-agers straight out of high school and thousands of non-traditional, adult learners, almost 100 transfer programs plus many non-credit courses during the day, evening and weekends. The focus of NCC is affordable education without sacrificing the quality of instruction. NCC is one of the few community colleges in the Commonwealth that offers student housing.
Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA
Moravian College was founded in 1742 by the Moravian Church. It is recognized as America’s sixth-oldest college - after Harvard (1636), William and Mary (1693), St. John's in Annapolis (1696), Yale (1701), and the University of Pennsylvania (1740). Moravian was founded on the educational principles of John Amos Comenius, a Moravian leader born in the 16th century, now revered as the "father of modern education." Today, the college educates a socially and religiously diverse group of students. Its current enrollment is 1329: 536 men and 793 women. Students come from a variety of socioeconomic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, and from about 25 states and 10 foreign countries.
Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA
Muhlenberg College (The Berg) was founded by the Lutheran Church in Allentown in 1848. Today, The Berg is a highly selective, independent undergraduate institution (2,125 students) with its main campus located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Muhlenberg College also offers quality adult education to residents of the Lehigh Valley through The Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College. A Northampton County campus of The Wescoe School is located in Easton.
Northampton County School Districts
Bangor Area School District
(one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools)
125 Five Points Richmond Road
Bangor, PA 18013
610-588-2163
Website...
Bethlehem Area School District
(two high schools, two middle schools, and eleven elementary schools)
1518 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017
610-861-5000
Website...
Catasauqua Area School District
(one high school, one middle school, and one elementary school)
201 N. 14th Street
Catasauqua, PA 18032
610-264-5571
Website...
Easton Area School District
(one high school, two middle school, and six elementary schools)
811 Northampton Street
Easton, PA 18042
610-250-2400
Website...
Nazareth Area School District
(one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools)
One Education Plaza
Nazareth, PA 18064
610-759-1170
Website...
Northampton Area School District
(one senior high, one junior high, and four elementary schools)
2014 Laubach Avenue
Northampton, PA 18067
610-262-7811
Website...
Northern Lehigh School District
(one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools)
1201 Shadow Oaks Lane
Slatington, PA 18080
610-767-9800
Website...
Pen Argyl School District
(one high school, one middle school, and one elementary school)
1620 Teels Road
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
610-863-3191
Website...
Saucon Valley School District
(one senior high, one middle school, and one elementary school)
2097 Polk Valley Road
Hellertown, PA 18055
610-838-7026
Website...
Wilson Area School District
(one high school, one middle school, three elementary schools)
2040 Washington Boulevard
Easton, PA 18042
484-373-6000
Website...
Private Schools
The private schools in Northampton County include the Diocese of Allentown with seven high schools throughout the Lehigh Valley; two high schools that include grades 7 to 12; fifty schools K to 8; five schools K to 6; and three special education schools.
Additionally, residents of Northampton County can choose from an ever-growing list of other private schools, including: Central Christian Academy, Moravian Academy, Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, The Hillside School.