Lees-McRae College vs University of the Cumberlands

Lees-McRae College and University of the Cumberlands, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Lees-McRae, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and experiential learning. In contrast, University of the Cumberlands, located in the heart of Appalachia, prides itself on its strong academic programs and commitment to community engagement. While both institutions share similarities, 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	University of the Cumberlands
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Williamsburg, Kentucky
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Remote
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	67.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	85.0%
Application fees	$25	$30
SAT range	1040 - 1240	940 - 1200
ACT range	20 - 26	17 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	71.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	2,177
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	1,851
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	613
Yield rate	23.5%	33.1%
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	$43,040	$27,929
Average net price	$25,894	$13,631
Tuition	$26,490	$9,875
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	$9,300
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 $10,633
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	51.0% Average amount $5,792
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	3.0% Average amount $7,618

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	4,838 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	14,434 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	24.5%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	680	1,448
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	Education Computer and Information Science Business Psychology Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	20:1
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%	48.0%
Dropout rate	18.2%	18.5%
Transferred out	41.4%	31.9%
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	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,858 Year 2: $64,791 Year 3: $66,365 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,719 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $58,016 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,935 Year 2: $43,338 Year 3: $44,041 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,376 Year 2: $36,104 Year 3: $42,810 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,204 Year 2: $41,472 Year 3: $42,251 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,627 Year 2: $40,446 Year 3: $42,173 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $39,570 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,782 Year 2: $37,354 Year 3: $38,689 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,064 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,254 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,264 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $32,174

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Lees-McRae College vs University of the Cumberlands

Lees-McRae College

University of the Cumberlands

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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