Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, NC · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Lees-McRae College admitted 76.8% of applicants university-wide (1,600 of 2,084).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 76.8% | 1,600 | 2,084 |
| In-state | 70.0% | 700 | 1,000 |
| Out-of-state | 70.0% | 560 | 800 |
| International applicants | 70.0% | 140 | 200 |
| Men | 74.6% | 581 | 779 |
| Women | 78.2% | 1,019 | 1,303 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 1,600 admitted students, 223 enrolled (13.9% yield).
Lees-McRae College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1000–1200
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 20–26
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)
Lees-McRae College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $53,050/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $33,250 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $19,800 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $53,050/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $23,030 |
| $30k–48k | $22,733 |
| $48k–75k | $25,905 |
| $75k–110k | $28,854 |
| Over $110k | $33,664 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Opportunity Scholarship — $16,000 per year (Merit)
- Founders Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies up to full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Lees-McRae Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full Tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Presidential Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- Dean's Scholarship — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Opportunity Scholarship — $16,000 per year (Merit)
- Founders Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies up to full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Lees-McRae Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full Tuition (Full Tuition)
Lees-McRae College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Lees-McRae College application or Common Application
- 250-650 word essay/personal statement OR personal interview
- Official high school transcript
- Official college transcript (if applicable)
- Letter of recommendation (from academic source) (optional)
- Official SAT and/or ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Lees-McRae College application or Common Application
- 250-650 word essay/personal statement OR personal interview
- Official high school transcript
- Official college transcript (if applicable)
- Letter of recommendation (from academic source) (optional)
- Official SAT and/or ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Lees-McRae College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Lees-McRae College requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $43,415
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 42.1%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 69%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $17,375
- At graduation
Lees-McRae College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Deadlines
- 2026-11-15Early Action — Non-binding early round
Lees-McRae College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Biological & life sciences (27%), Business & marketing (13%), Psychology (4%).
Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 56% of class sections have under 20 students.
Lees-McRae College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.