Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, NC191 Main Street, Banner Elk, NC 28604
828-898-5241
Lees-McRae College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The college offers bachelor's degrees in 30 majors. The school also offers master's degrees in business administration, education, and nursing, as well as a doctor of physical therapy degree.
Lees-McRae was founded in 1883 as an institute to train mountain missionaries. It is the only college in the United States with an Appalachian studies program. The college's name comes from two of its early benefactors, Rev. John McRae and Governor Zebulon Vance.
The college is located on a 300-acre campus in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It enrolls about 1,000 students, most of whom are from North Carolina. The student-to-faculty ratio is 13-to-1.
The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a member of the NCAA Division II and competes in the South Atlantic Conference.
Lees-McRae's most popular majors are business, education, and nursing. The college also has strong programs in the arts, sciences, and health professions. The college's faculty includes several Fulbright Scholars and recipients of other prestigious awards.
Lees-McRae students have the opportunity to study abroad, participate in service-learning projects, and intern with local and regional businesses. The college also offers a variety of on-campus activities, including clubs, organizations, and intramural sports.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 838
Acceptance Rate: 73.29%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.lmc.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.lmc.edu/admissions/financial-aid/index.htm
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $45364
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $45364
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Lees-McRae College is $169291.59. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Lees-McRae College. For graduates of Lees-McRae College, we saw an average early-career income of $42100.00 and mid-career income of $73500.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.