Lees-McRae College vs West Virginia Wesleyan College

Lees-McRae College and West Virginia Wesleyan College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Lees-McRae, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. West Virginia Wesleyan, located in the vibrant city of Buckhannon, offers a more diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate. While both colleges excel in liberal arts and sciences, Lees-McRae is renowned for its outdoor programs and environmental studies, while West Virginia Wesleyan emphasizes business and music. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	West Virginia Wesleyan College
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Buckhannon, West Virginia
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%	65.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	84.4%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1040 - 1240	968 - 1180
ACT range	20 - 26	18 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	30.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,766
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	1,491
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	302
Yield rate	23.5%	20.3%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$43,040	$41,677
Average net price	$25,894	$20,512
Tuition	$26,490	$31,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $4,912 Meal plan: $5,142
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 $25,474
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	97.0% Average amount $5,882
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	10.0% Average amount $15,240

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	982 Men 46.4% Women 53.6%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	72 Men 23.6% Women 76.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	48.3%
International students	3.3%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	680	1,020
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	West Virginia Florida Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Business	Health Professions Physical Science Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.4%	54.3%
Dropout rate	18.2%	45.4%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,633 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $56,345 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,329 Year 3: $30,698 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,111 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,047 Year 2: $29,929 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,326 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,544 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,878 Year 2: $38,871 Year 3: N/A

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Lees-McRae College

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