Montreat College vs Lees-McRae College

Montreat College and Lees-McRae College, both nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Montreat, a private Christian college, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on liberal arts, while Lees-McRae, a private liberal arts college, emphasizes experiential learning and career preparation. With different acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, these institutions cater to diverse student populations. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Montreat College
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Montreat, 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%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	90.2%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1040 - 1240	1030 - 1220
ACT range	20 - 26	21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	15.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,465
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	1,322
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	212
Yield rate	23.5%	16.0%
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	$39,366
Average net price	$25,894	$23,083
Tuition	$26,490	$29,212
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $4,300 Meal plan: $5,528
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 $18,697
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	84.0% Average amount $10,351
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	15.0% Average amount $14,145

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	853 Men 54.5% Women 45.5%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	160 Men 29.4% Women 70.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	680	642
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	Business Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	13:1
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%	29.4%
Dropout rate	18.2%	69.0%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,796 Year 2: $49,214 Year 3: $52,185 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,504 Year 2: $40,853 Year 3: $47,809 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,910 Year 2: $43,319 Year 3: $47,361 Psychology, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,117 Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $31,319

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Lees-McRae College

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