Catawba College vs Lees-McRae College

Catawba College and Lees-McRae College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Catawba, rooted in a liberal arts tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students to pursue their academic aspirations. Lees-McRae, known for its focus on experiential learning, offers a more intimate campus community. While Catawba's student body is more diverse, Lees-McRae excels in providing personalized attention, with a lower student-to-faculty ratio. Both colleges offer a range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing, but Catawba boasts a higher graduation rate, ensuring students are well-prepared for their careers. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which college aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Catawba College	Lees-McRae College
Overview
Location	Salisbury, North Carolina	Banner Elk, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Rural: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	56.1%	59.2%
Application fees		$25
SAT range	990 - 1150	1040 - 1240
ACT range	18 - 26	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	49.0%	26.0%
Total number of applicants	2,199	1,777
Total number of admissions given out	1,234	1,052
Admitted students who chose to enroll	264	247
Yield rate	21.4%	23.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$46,262	$43,040
Average net price	$19,276	$25,894
Tuition	$32,380	$26,490
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,564 Meal plan: $4,566	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $26,327	100.0% Average amount $18,350
Students receiving federal student loan	63.0% Average amount $5,262	75.0% Average amount $6,664
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $11,314	6.0% Average amount $13,196

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,142 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%
Graduate students	65 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	47.5%
International students	5.2%	3.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	688	680
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina South Carolina Florida Virginia Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Business
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	59.8%	40.4%
Dropout rate	39.5%	18.2%
Transferred out	N/A	41.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,918 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $55,370 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,677 Year 2: $34,259 Year 3: $35,554 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,810 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,518 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,672 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $30,810 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,419 Year 2: $22,482 Year 3: $29,367 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,770 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,693 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,914 Year 2: $63,935 Year 3: $66,973 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,268 Year 2: $44,649 Year 3: $49,738 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,351 Year 2: $34,393 Year 3: $36,519 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,325 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $36,175 Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,174 Year 2: $20,596 Year 3: $25,820 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,052 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,560 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,244 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: N/A Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,980 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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Catawba College vs Lees-McRae College

Catawba College

Lees-McRae College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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