Catawba College vs. Lees-McRae College

Should I go to Catawba College or Lees McRae College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Catawba College or Lees-McRae College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Catawba College vs. Lees McRae College comparison
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Catawba College
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Overview

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Location Salisbury, NC Banner Elk, NC
Setting Distant Town Distant Rural
Enrollment 1,241 839
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #659
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website catawba.edu lmc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Tuition (In State) $33,400 $28,790
Tuition (Out of State) $33,400 $28,790
Room & Board $12,550 $13,730
Avg Net Price $18,319 $26,009
Avg Grant Aid $29,599 $19,843
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,547 1,787
Admitted 1,979 1,443
Acceptance Rate 77.7% 80.7%
Enrolled % 15.6% 13.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 20/26
SAT Range 1010/1186 1040/1240
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Graduation Rate 54% 24%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,000 $34,300
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $20,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $206

Diversity

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
% Men 3% 1%
% Women 4% 2%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 67%
% Black 19% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 18%

Students

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
% In-State 61% 52%
% Out-of-State 34% 44%

Campus

Catawba College Lees-McRae College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Catawba College is larger than than Lees-McRae College based on total student enrollment (1,241 students vs. 839 students)

Catawba College vs. Lees-McRae College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Catawba College or Lees-McRae College?

  • Catawba College is 16% more expensive to attend than Lees-McRae College for in-state tuition ($33,400.00 vs. $28,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16% higher at Catawba College than Lees McRae College ($33,400.00 vs. $28,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Catawba College than Lees-McRae College ($18,319 vs. $26,009)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Catawba College are 9.4% lower than costs at Lees McRae College ($12,550 vs. $13,730)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Catawba College as Lees McRae College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Catawba College students is 49.2% larger than aid received Lees McRae College ($29,599 vs. $19,843)

Catawba College vs. Lees-McRae College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Catawba College or Lees-McRae College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Lees-McRae College or Catawba College .

  • Lees-McRae College has a higher acceptance rate (80.7%) than Catawba College (77.7%)

Catawba College vs. Lees-McRae College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Catawba College or Lees-McRae College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Lees-McRae College and Catawba College.

  • The graduation rate at Catawba College is higher than Lees McRae College (54% vs. 24%)
  • Graduates from Catawba College earn on average $7,700 more per year than Lees-McRae College graduates after ten years. ($42,000 vs. $34,300)
  • Lees McRae College students graduate with a $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Catawba College graduates. ($20,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Lees-McRae College graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Catawba College graduates. ($206 vs. $258)
  • More Catawba College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lees-McRae College students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 55%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/