Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina · Website
$43,415
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,415
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Lees-McRae College is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Banner Elk, North Carolina with 873 undergraduates and 37 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $28,340 a year (tuition and fees $33,250). It admits 77% of applicants and 42% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $43,415 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $17,375 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$28,340
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$33,250
US median $11,837
Admission rate
77%
US median 78%
Completion rate
42%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$17,375
About $184 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,415
Rank 2,177 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $28,340
- Tuition and fees
- $33,250
- Cost of attendance
- $49,498
- Students with a need-based grant
- 37%
- Students with federal loans
- 59%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $23,030
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $22,733
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $25,905
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $28,854
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $33,664
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $25,404 in 2015-16 to $33,250 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 77%
- SAT reading, middle
- 590
- SAT math, middle
- 550
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 873
- Graduate students
- 37
- Part-time students
- 2.1%
- Women
- 67%
- Students per teacher
- 11
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Retention rate
- 69%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 25
- Endowment
- $39.7M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,177 of 5,094 US colleges and 43 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $28,340 | $14,086 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $33,250 | $6,906 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 77% | 75% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 42% | 48% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 69% | 72% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $17,375 | $20,000 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $41,599 | $31,569 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,415 | $36,048 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 55% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 70% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
25 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $23,000 | $24,921 | $38,699 | $44,055 |
| Human Services, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $13,000 | $34,811 | $43,273 | $48,597 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $14,050 | $39,811 | $50,085 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $15,000 | $38,996 | $45,862 | $47,382 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $19,339 | $69,776 | $87,523 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $17,605 | $33,292 | $60,108 | $68,257 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | $25,624 | Withheld | $44,161 | $50,706 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory ProgramsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,688 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,359 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Nutrition SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $70,786 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Religion/Religious StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 0 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Banner Elk and North Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in North Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in North Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Lees-McRae College cost?
$28,340 a year is the average net price at Lees-McRae College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $33,250, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $49,498. Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,030 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Lees-McRae College?
77% of applicants are admitted to Lees-McRae College. The median admission rate of colleges in North Carolina is 75%.
How much do Lees-McRae College graduates earn?
$43,415 a year is the median pay of former Lees-McRae College students who work, 10 years after they started ($41,599 after 6 years). That ranks 2,177 of 5,094 US colleges and 43 of 147 in North Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $69,776.
How much student debt do Lees-McRae College graduates have?
$17,375 is the median federal student loan debt of Lees-McRae College graduates, about $184 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 59% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Lees-McRae College?
42% of first-time, full-time students at Lees-McRae College finish within 6 years. 69% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Lees-McRae College?
Zoology/Animal Biology (48 bachelor's graduates), Human Services, General (36 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (25 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 25 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.