Lees-McRae College vs Westminster College

Lees-McRae College and Westminster College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Lees-McRae, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a close-knit community with a focus on experiential learning and outdoor adventure. Westminster, located in the vibrant city of Salt Lake City, emphasizes a liberal arts education and prepares students for careers in law, business, and public service. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Westminster College
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Fringe
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%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	82.1%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1040 - 1240	1040 - 1258
ACT range	20 - 26	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	10.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	2,475
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	2,033
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	305
Yield rate	23.5%	15.0%
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	$52,150
Average net price	$25,894	$20,258
Tuition	$26,490	$37,630
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	$11,670
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 $30,669
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	78.0% Average amount $5,696
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	28.0% Average amount $12,975

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	1,163 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	62 Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	680	998
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	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Social Sciences Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.4%	72.8%
Dropout rate	18.2%	11.9%
Transferred out	41.4%	13.6%
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	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $60,526 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $51,802 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,460 Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $43,882 Education, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,753 Year 2: $34,847 Year 3: $41,931 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $38,405 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $36,169 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: N/A Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: N/A

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Lees-McRae College

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