VCM vs. LEC

Should I go to VanderCook College of Music or Lake Erie College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if VCM or LEC 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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VanderCook College of Music vs. Lake Erie College comparison
VanderCook College of Music Lake Erie College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 VCM LEC
Location Chicago, IL Painesville, OH
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 263 906
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vandercook.edu lec.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 VCM LEC
Tuition (In State) $27,670 $33,588
Tuition (Out of State) $27,670 $33,588
Room & Board $7,500 $10,842
Avg Net Price $12,436 $22,678
Avg Grant Aid $27,884 $25,417
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 VCM LEC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22 1,085
Admitted 22 587
Acceptance Rate 100% 54.1%
Enrolled % 50% 38.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.1 3.19
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 15/20 20/26
SAT Range 890/1160 1000/1170
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 Apr 1, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 VCM LEC
Student to Faculty Ratio 4:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (100%)
  • Business (36%)
  • Agriculture (12%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 VCM LEC
Graduation Rate 45% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $36,600
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

 VCM LEC
% Men 43% 55%
% Women 57% 45%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 77%
% Black 8% 10%
% Hispanic 21% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 VCM LEC
% In-State 58% 54%
% Out-of-State 42% 40%

Campus

 VCM LEC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Lake Erie College is larger than than VCM based on total student enrollment (906 students vs. 263 students)

VCM vs. LEC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, VCM or LEC?

  • Lake Erie College is 21.4% more expensive to attend than VCM for in-state tuition ($33,588.00 vs. $27,670.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.4% higher at LEC than VanderCook College of Music ($33,588.00 vs. $27,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at VanderCook College of Music than LEC ($12,436 vs. $22,678)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at VanderCook College of Music are 44.6% lower than costs at Lake Erie College ($7,500 vs. $10,842)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at VanderCook College of Music as Lake Erie College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by VanderCook College of Music students is 9.7% larger than aid received Lake Erie College ($27,884 vs. $25,417)

VCM vs. LEC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, VCM or LEC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between LEC or VCM .

  • The average SAT score at VanderCook College of Music (1107) is 118 points higher than at LEC (989)
  • Incoming VCM students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at LEC (21)
  • Accepted freshman LEC students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.19) than students at VCM (3.1)
  • VCM has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than LEC (54.1%)

VCM vs. LEC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, VCM or LEC? 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 LEC and VCM.

  • The graduation rate at LEC is higher than VanderCook College of Music (53% vs. 45%)
  • Lake Erie College and VCM graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Lake Erie College and VCM graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More VCM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former LEC students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 62%)

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