William Peace University vs Lees-McRae College

William Peace University and Lees-McRae College, both located in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. William Peace University, a private institution in Raleigh, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Lees-McRae College's 67%. With a larger student body, William Peace University offers a more diverse range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like business, education, and nursing. Lees-McRae College, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, emphasizes experiential learning and outdoor activities, with popular majors in business, exercise science, and outdoor recreation. While William Peace University has a slightly higher graduation rate (58% vs. 56%), both institutions provide supportive learning environments and opportunities for personal growth. 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	William Peace University
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Raleigh, North Carolina
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	City: 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
Students retention rate	67.0%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	52.1%
Application fees	$25	$35
SAT range	1040 - 1240	1078 - 1230
ACT range	20 - 26	21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	30.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,223
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	637
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	128
Yield rate	23.5%	20.1%
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	$46,900
Average net price	$25,894	$26,338
Tuition	$26,490	$31,950
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $8,080 Meal plan: $4,150
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 $22,107
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	58.0% Average amount $5,888
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	10.0% Average amount $14,936

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	742 Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	680	404
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 Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
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%	42.1%
Dropout rate	18.2%	18.2%
Transferred out	41.4%	39.2%
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, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,563 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $50,731 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,454 Year 2: $41,789 Year 3: $46,441 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $40,467 Year 3: $40,161 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,700 Year 2: $27,488 Year 3: $36,898 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,558 Year 2: $26,187 Year 3: $28,658 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $40,140 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,101 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,782 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,498 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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