Lees-McRae College

Banner Elk, NC · SoutheastQuad's selectivityAccessible

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

8 in 10 applicants admitted

Lees-McRae admits about 8 in 10 applicants (77%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 51% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

77%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

2,084

Admitted

1,600

Yield

14%

of admits enroll

Applications +38% since fall 2014 · admit rate 62% → 77%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 873 undergrads, where 37% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

873

undergrads · larger than 33% of colleges

Diversity index

0.61

Pell Grant

37%

above the median

First generation

40%

above the median

Rural, distantNCAA D-II · Conference CarolinasStudy abroadUndergrad research

More diverse · index 0.57 → 0.61 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Wildlife Biology (22% of graduates). 11 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 68% of colleges. 50% of faculty are full-time. Spends $7,880 a year on instruction per student.

11 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 68% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $30,613 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $6.3K more than the national median. The 97% who received grants paid $29,833 on average; the other 3% paid the full sticker price of $49,890.

39%

$30.6K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $6.3K above the national median

Full price: $49,890 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 28% · avg $16K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 39% of full price

Federal loans

59%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost rising · +7% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $43,415 ten years after enrolling, more than at 21% of colleges; 62% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.8 years of that salary.

62%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$43.4K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$17.4K

≈ $184/month for 10 years

Retention

69%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 38% → 42% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 4% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid rose 7%, as grants covered less of it. Applications rose 38% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 62% to 77%.

Cost
Rising
+7% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+38%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 62% → 77%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.57 → 0.61

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

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Lycoming College

77% admit · SAT 1150 · 996 undergrads

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Kansas Wesleyan University

72% admit · 956 undergrads

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Meredith College

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Lees-McRae College (2026)
Lees-McRae College · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 198808 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything