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Banner Elk , NC
Lees-McRae College is a small, private, liberal arts college located in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Established in 1900, the college has a long-standing reputation for providing a high-quality education in a personalized and supportive environment. With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, Lees-McRae offers students numerous opportunities to engage in hands-on experiences, internships, and research projects.
The college offers a wide range of undergraduate programs, including majors in business administration, education, nursing, outdoor recreation management, and wildlife biology, among others. Lees-McRae College prides itself on its small class sizes, ensuring that students receive individual attention from faculty members who are dedicated to their success. The college also offers various athletic programs, allowing students to engage in competitive sports in both NCAA Division II and the National Cycling Center.
Located in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, Lees-McRae College offers a beautiful and serene campus surrounded by nature. With state-of-the-art facilities, including modern science labs, a library, an art gallery, and a performing arts center, students have access to resources that enhance their learning experience. The college also boasts a strong sense of community, with numerous clubs, organizations, and cultural events that encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities and develop leadership skills.
Overall, Lees-McRae College provides a nurturing and well-rounded educational experience for students. Its commitment to small class sizes, experiential learning, and a supportive community creates an environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally. With its beautiful location and variety of programs, Lees-McRae College offers a unique opportunity for students seeking a personalized and holistic college experience.
Located in Banner Elk, NC and set in a rural environment, Lees-McRae College is a private comprehensive higher education institution. This school uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 76%. The freshman retention rate at Lees-McRae College is 69% and the six-year graduation rate is 42%.
Explore this school's profile to find out all the important things about Lees-McRae College.
Quick Facts
873
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
$31,880
Tuition
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
42%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
Discovering as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission maximizes your chances of getting admitted. Learn some relevant data about admission at Lees-McRae College.
In 2025, the school accepted 1,600 new students.
Test Scores
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.58. Therefore, the chances are that you'll need a GPA higher than the average for acceptance,.
Retention Rate
The student retention rate is the percentage of students who re-enroll from one year to the next. That information can tell you if the majority of freshmen liked their first year enough to come back.
The freshman retention rate for Lees-McRae College was 69% in 2025.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. This rate shows how many students complete their degrees in a certain number of years. The six-year graduation rate at this institution stands at 42%.
Student Body
Choosing a school that is the right place for you is not a simple task. Having a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 910 students.
That year, the institution had an out-of-state student body percentage of 39. There was a total of 873 undergrad students, including 43 international students. The number of transfer students at this school was 107.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 294 male and 596 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
In order to enhance a sense of inclusion and belonging among its students, higher education is dedicated to increasing student diversity. A diverse student body brings together individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
In 2025, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of students of Asian origin was 13, and the number of African American students was 60. 41 undergraduate students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 10 identified with more than one race. The school also had 2 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 7 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 204 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
One of the most crucial things to take into consideration when applying to any college or university is the financial component. The latest information on the expenses that most students at this school incur are detailed below.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some numbers that can help you better understand the estimated tuition fees for this university.
As a full-time domestic student, you were required to pay tuition of $31,880 in 2025. Lees-McRae College is a private institution, so tuition is the same for all the accepted students. Fees per academic year required of full-time students summed up to $3,510 in 2025.
Books and Supplies
When you try to estimate the cost of attendance for a college or university, you need to think about the cost of books and supplies you're going to need. The estimated cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $620.
Boarding
The cost of dorm rooms and meals in the school's cafeteria is for sure something to take into consideration. What do schools typically charge for accommodation and meals?
At Lees-McRae College, the 2025 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $16,030. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school cost $7,330, according to the data from 2025.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 31,880 |
| Room and Board | $ 16,030 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 620 |
| Total Expense | $ 48,530 |
Financial Aid
There are different types of financial help: grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. If you are interested in finding out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Lees-McRae College, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
The most recent records show that 146 freshmen received some sort of financial help. The average financial aid package awarded to students added up to $23,659.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
585 students received some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Lees-McRae College is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need came to be 585. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution totaled $1,849,561, and state $1,478,790. The students of Lees-McRae College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $8,616,894, and external in the amount of $203,048.
$9,494
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
543 students, including freshmen, got institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid at this institution in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 137 full-time freshmen.
Open Applications
Find open programs by choosing your preferred academic interest from the list below, and select your desired term start. Get started with your application process and find more information using the Apply button.
Majors
Faculty
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty or student-to-professor ratio is the number of students compared to the number of professors at a school.
In 2025, this ratio at Lees-McRae College was 11:1. That means that there were 11 times more students than teachers at this school. The faculty of this school consists of 122 members, according to the most recent data reported. Out of that number, there were 53 male and 69 female faculty members. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at Lees-McRae College.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Not everything at Lees-McRae College is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some info about campus life at Lees-McRae College.
Its campus is 935 acres in size.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
Based on the most up-to-date information available, there are 31 open-membership organizations at Lees-McRae College. The student organization that gathers the largest number of students is North Campus RA's, followed by Fellowship of Christian Students and South Campus RA's. Other popular organizations at Lees-McRae College are SGA Starry Night Formal and CAB Welcome Bash.
There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you.
Student Services
Lees-McRae College provides a number of services necessary for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
There are emergency phone and alarm devices available around the clock. There are electronically operated dormitory entrances. There is a round-the-clock security patrol. The after-hours transportation/escort service is available.
This school has a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at Lees-McRae College is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Lees-McRae College.
Career Counselling
At Lees-McRae College, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a job bank and job fairs. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be a great asset for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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Lees-McRae College is located in Banner Elk, NC.
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Lees-McRae College offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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According to the latest information, you would need to pay about 31,880 USD per academic year for Lees-McRae College.
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The most recent reported acceptance rate for Lees-McRae College is 76%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for Lees-McRae College is 69%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.