Lees-McRae College vs Transylvania University

Lees-McRae College and Transylvania University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Lees-McRae, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a close-knit community with a focus on experiential learning and outdoor adventure. Transylvania, located in the heart of historic Lexington, Kentucky, prides itself on its liberal arts tradition and strong academic reputation. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Transylvania University
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Lexington, Kentucky
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	92.0%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1040 - 1240	1050 - 1330
ACT range	20 - 26	23 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	73.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,631
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	1,500
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	289
Yield rate	23.5%	19.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$43,040	$58,070
Average net price	$25,894	$26,271
Tuition	$26,490	$40,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $6,400 Meal plan: $4,850
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,350	100.0% Average amount $30,467
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	55.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	9.0% Average amount $17,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	970 Men 41.3% Women 58.7%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	680	667
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina South Carolina Florida Virginia Georgia	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Business	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures History Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.4%	73.4%
Dropout rate	18.2%	26.6%
Transferred out	41.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,805 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $56,316 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,754 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $53,448 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A

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Lees-McRae College

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