Lees-McRae College

Banner Elk, NC · Private · Rural (distant) · LMC

Private institution in Banner Elk, NC · 817 undergraduates · 81% acceptance rate · $43,415 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Top 20%Student-faculty ratio
Top 23%Median graduate debt

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price: $25,7651,539th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees: $31,1401,375th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees: $31,1401,296th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance: $45,8861,371st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt: $17,375424th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $43,4151,439th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $41,5991,120th highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year): 44.2%1,382nd highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention: 62.3%1,547th highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 80.8%938th most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT: —
Median ACT: 23494th highest of 954 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates: 8171,477th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio: 10.0:1436th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share: 37.4%824th highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 84 mi (CLT)

On 1 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Most Selective Colleges in North Carolina#32

Applying

EADec 15
RDMay 1

Common App member: Yes
Application fee: $25
Personal essay: Optional / not required
Writing supplement: No

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 22 reported programs.

Field	Level	1 yr	2 yr
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions	bachelors	$59,892	$63,935
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation	bachelors	$35,566	$34,393
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness	bachelors	$34,847	$44,649
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement	bachelors	$34,526	$28,816
Human Services, GeneralPublic Administration	bachelors	$27,947	—
Communication and Media StudiesCommunications	bachelors	$25,194	$21,052
Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness	bachelors	$21,234	—
Psychology, GeneralPsychology	bachelors	$21,052	$23,456
Zoology/Animal BiologyBiological Sciences	bachelors	$20,388	$20,596
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions	bachelors	—	—
Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences	bachelors	—	—
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftVisual & Performing Arts	bachelors	—	—

Campus facts

Religious affiliation: Presbyterian Church (USA)source
Founded in 1900source
Athletic nickname: "Bobcats"source
Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
Mascot: Wily the Bobcatsource
Motto: "In Montibus, Ex Montibus, Pro Montibus (Latin)"source
Formerly known as "The Elizabeth McRae Institute" (1900–1903)source
Formerly known as "The Elizabeth McRae–Suzanna Lees Institute" (1903–1907)source
Formerly known as "The Lees–McRae Institute" (1907–1931)source
Athletic conference: Carolinassource

Athletics — 9 sports + curated flag football

NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,044,319 (M $1,866,830 · W $1,177,489)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Women’s flag football is curated (not yet a stable EADA sport filter).