Lees-McRae College vs. Columbia International University

Lees McRae College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Lees McRae College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Location	Banner Elk, NC	Columbia, SC
Setting	Distant Rural	Midsize City
Enrollment	855	2,481
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking		#705
Religious Affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	lmc.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$26,490	$25,620
Tuition (Out of State)	$26,490	$25,620
Room & Board	$12,200	$9,950
Avg Net Price	$24,108	$19,911
Avg Grant Aid	$18,205	$18,834
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	95%

Admission	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,733	506
Admitted	1,063	244
Acceptance Rate	61.3%	48.2%
Enrolled %	19.9%	73.4%
Avg High School GPA	-	3.5
Typical High School Grades	-	B+
Admissions Standards	Average	Easy
Applicant Competition	Low	Low
ACT Range	20/26	16/25
SAT Range	1040/1240	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	10:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Education (25%) Health Professions (18%) Business (11%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%) Social Sciences (9%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	24%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$34,300	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	55%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$20,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$206	$222

Diversity	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
% Men	35%	46%
% Women	65%	54%
Racial Diversity	Medium	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	67%	72%
% Black	7%	10%
% Hispanic	4%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	1%	2%
% International	2%	4%
% Unknown Race	18%	6%

Students	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
% In-State	45%	59%
% Out-of-State	50%	38%
Campus	Lees-McRae College	Columbia International University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than Lees-McRae College based on total student enrollment (2,481 students vs. 855 students)

Lees-McRae College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lees-McRae College or Columbia International University?

• Lees McRae College is 3.4% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($26,490.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• Out of state tuition is 3.4% higher at Lees-McRae College than Columbia International University ($26,490.00 vs. $25,620.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia International University than Lees-McRae College ($19,911 vs. $24,108)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 22.6% lower than costs at Lees McRae College ($9,950 vs. $12,200)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Lees McRae College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 95%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia International University students is 3.5% larger than aid received Lees McRae College ($18,834 vs. $18,205)

Lees-McRae College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• Lees-McRae College has a higher acceptance rate (61.3%) than Columbia International University (48.2%)

Lees-McRae College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lees-McRae College or Columbia International University? 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 Columbia International University and Lees-McRae College.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Lees McRae College (57% vs. 24%)
• Graduates from Lees McRae College earn on average $900 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($34,300 vs. $33,400)
• Lees McRae College students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia International University graduates. ($20,000 vs. $21,500)
• Lees-McRae College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia International University graduates. ($206 vs. $222)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lees-McRae College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 55%)

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