🎓 College profile

Lees-McRae College

NC · Private nonprofit · Distant rural · 1,787 applicants 2023

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Biological & Biomedical Sciences or Public Administration & Social Services (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
873
Under 1,000
In-state tuition
$33,250
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$33,250
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
80.7%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$43,415
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$41,599
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,415
4-year completion
42%
Median debt (completers)
$17,375
Cost of attendance
$49,498
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
37%

💰 True ROI

3.8× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$113,360
$28,340/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$84,632
vs sticker $197,992
10-yr earnings total
$434,150
$43,415/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.6 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Lees-McRae College, the average net price is $28,340/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$23,030/yr
Family income $30-48k
$22,733/yr
Family income $48-75k
$25,905/yr
Family income $75-110k
$28,854/yr
Family income $110k+
$33,664/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Lees-McRae College's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Lees-McRae College →

Opens on Lees-McRae College's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Lees-McRae College

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Lees-McRae College actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
59 degrees · 36.4%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
2. Public Administration & Social Services
36 degrees · 22.2%
Typical career outcomes
Social Worker $58k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Government, nonprofit, social work. Mission-driven; lower wages than private sector but stable.
3. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
25 degrees · 15.4%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.
4. Education
22 degrees · 13.6%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
5. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
20 degrees · 12.3%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Lees-McRae College

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 11 $69,776 $87,523
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 35 $33,292 $60,108
Criminal Justice and Corrections. Bachelor's Degree 29 $39,811 $50,085
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 29 $38,996 $45,862
Psychology, General. Bachelor's Degree 14 — $44,161
Human Services, General. Bachelor's Degree 29 $34,811 $43,273
Zoology/Animal Biology. Bachelor's Degree 33 $24,921 $38,699

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Lees-McRae College vs. another college

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