Lees-McRae College vs Warren Wilson College

Lees-McRae College and Warren Wilson College, both nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Lees-McRae, with an acceptance rate of 68%, boasts a vibrant student body representing 34 states and 17 countries, while Warren Wilson, with a more selective acceptance rate of 58%, emphasizes experiential learning and community engagement. While both colleges offer a range of undergraduate programs, Lees-McRae excels in fields like exercise science and outdoor recreation, while Warren Wilson is renowned for its strengths in environmental studies and social justice. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings, including graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Warren Wilson College
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Swannanoa, North Carolina
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
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%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	77.4%
Application fees	$25	$75
SAT range	1040 - 1240	N/A
ACT range	20 - 26	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	28.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,146
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	887
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	225
Yield rate	23.5%	25.4%
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	$56,080
Average net price	$25,894	$25,611
Tuition	$26,490	$37,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	$11,750
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,350	99.0% Average amount $28,389
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	71.0% Average amount $4,976
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	4.0% Average amount $13,032

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	723 Men 33.9% Women 66.1%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	80 Men 32.5% Women 67.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	3.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	680	825
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	English Language and Literature Social Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Psychology History
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	9:1
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%	39.0%
Dropout rate	18.2%	61.0%
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	Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,465 Year 2: $20,530 Year 3: $25,616 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,717 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,188 Year 2: $17,624 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,401 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,469 Year 2: $12,356 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Lees-McRae College

Shorter University