Limestone University vs Lees-McRae College

Limestone University and Lees-McRae College, both located in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Limestone University, with an acceptance rate of 68%, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on liberal arts and professional programs. Lees-McRae College, with a slightly lower acceptance rate of 65%, emphasizes experiential learning and outdoor adventure programs, catering to students seeking a more hands-on approach. While both institutions offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Limestone University excels in business, education, and nursing, while Lees-McRae College shines in environmental science, outdoor leadership, and resort and hospitality management. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings, student demographics, and graduation rates, and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lees-McRae College	Limestone University
Overview
Location	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Gaffney, South Carolina
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%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.2%	87.2%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1040 - 1240	N/A
ACT range	20 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%
Total number of applicants	1,777	1,911
Total number of admissions given out	1,052	1,667
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	294
Yield rate	23.5%	17.6%
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	$39,526
Average net price	$25,894	$22,719
Tuition	$26,490	$25,200
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $6,150	Room/dormitory: $5,477 Meal plan: $5,168
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 $19,625
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $6,664	77.0% Average amount $9,396
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,196	10.0% Average amount $13,248

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	872 Men 34.7% Women 65.3%	1,680 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	1 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	160 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	47.5%	N/A
International students	3.3%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	680	711
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 Public Administration and Social Service Computer and Information Science Liberal Arts Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	13:1
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%	29.7%
Dropout rate	18.2%	18.8%
Transferred out	41.4%	50.7%
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 (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $52,685 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,004 Year 2: $52,607 Year 3: $49,588 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,094 Year 2: $40,896 Year 3: $42,756 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $38,022 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $34,123 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,986 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $33,688 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,027 Year 2: $34,847 Year 3: $33,172 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,421 Year 2: $30,854 Year 3: $31,656 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: N/A Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Lees-McRae College

Shorter University