Salem College vs Lees-McRae College

Salem College and Lees-McRae College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Salem College, a women's college located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Lees-McRae College, situated in Banner Elk, North Carolina, offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of academic programs, including popular majors like Business Administration and Outdoor Recreation Management. While Salem College excels in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Lees-McRae College is renowned for its strong programs in Health Professions and Education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these colleges' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Salem College
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	City: Midsize
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%	62.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	90.2%
Application fees	$25	$30
SAT range	1040 - 1240	1053 - 1200
ACT range	20 - 26	17 - 21
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	479
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	432
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	48
Yield rate	23.5%	11.1%
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	$35,016
Average net price	$25,894	$11,408
Tuition	$26,490	$30,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $6,150
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 $26,404
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	51.0% Average amount $4,282
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	3.0% Average amount $3,977

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	364 Men 1.9% Women 98.1%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	132 Men 9.1% Women 90.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	47.5%	15.6%
International students	3.3%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	680	386
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	North Carolina Virginia Connecticut Delaware Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Business	Education Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	15:1
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%	67.4%
Dropout rate	18.2%	9.8%
Transferred out	41.4%	22.8%
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 (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,373 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,915 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,850 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,313 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,085 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,016 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,118 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

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Lees-McRae College

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