Lees-McRae College vs Union College

Lees-McRae College and Union College, while both offering unique educational experiences, present distinct differences in their academic offerings, student demographics, and campus environments. Lees-McRae, a private liberal arts college nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, boasts a close-knit community with a focus on experiential learning and outdoor adventure. Union College, a private liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, emphasizes a rigorous academic curriculum with a strong focus on research and scholarship. With Lees-McRae's acceptance rate of 75% compared to Union's 32%, the two institutions cater to different applicant pools. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details on acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, helping you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Lees-McRae College logo

Lees-McRae College

Union College logo

Union College

Overview

Location Banner Elk, North Carolina Barbourville, Kentucky
Campus setting Rural: Distant Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 67.0% 60.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Presbyterian Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 59.2% 56.4%
Application fees $25
SAT range 1040 - 1240 955 - 1148
ACT range 20 - 26 16 - 22
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 6.0%
Students submitting ACT score 26.0% 84.0%
Total number of applicants 1,777 723
Total number of admissions given out 1,052 408
Admitted students who chose to enroll 247 140
Yield rate 23.5% 34.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $43,040 $41,789
Average net price $25,894 $15,690
Tuition $26,490 $27,119
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,400

Meal plan: $6,150
Room/dormitory: $2,800

Meal plan: $3,900
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $18,350
98.0%
Average amount $22,966
Students receiving federal student loan 75.0%
Average amount $6,664
71.0%
Average amount $5,976
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $13,196
10.0%
Average amount $5,676

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 872
Men 34.7% Women 65.3%
789
Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students 1
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
235
Men 45.1% Women 54.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 47.5% N/A
International students 3.3% 11.4%
Campus local/setting Rural: Distant Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 680 437
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina South Carolina Florida Virginia Georgia N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 40.4% 37.1%
Dropout rate 18.2% 27.2%
Transferred out 41.4% 35.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,914
  • Year 2: $63,935
  • Year 3: $66,973
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,268
  • Year 2: $44,649
  • Year 3: $49,738
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,351
  • Year 2: $34,393
  • Year 3: $36,519
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,325
  • Year 2: $28,816
  • Year 3: $36,175
Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,174
  • Year 2: $20,596
  • Year 3: $25,820
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,052
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,560
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $17,244
  • Year 2: $23,456
  • Year 3: N/A
Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,980
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,564
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,490
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,154
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,035
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,226
  • Year 2: $56,415
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,123
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Shorter University Shorter University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Young Harris College Young Harris College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Alice Lloyd College Alice Lloyd College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Berea College Berea College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Campbellsville University Campbellsville University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs University of the Cumberlands University of the Cumberlands
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Kentucky Christian University Kentucky Christian University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Lindsey Wilson College Lindsey Wilson College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Midway University Midway University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Transylvania University Transylvania University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Union College Union College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Brevard College Brevard College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Greensboro College Greensboro College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs St. Andrews University St. Andrews University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Warren Wilson College Warren Wilson College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Westminster College Westminster College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Cumberland University Cumberland University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Alderson Broaddus University Alderson Broaddus University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Concord University Concord University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Glenville State University Glenville State University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs West Virginia State University West Virginia State University
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Messenger College Messenger College
Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College vs Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky
Union College Union College vs Point University Point University
Union College Union College vs Brescia University Brescia University
Union College Union College vs Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Clear Creek Baptist Bible College
Union College Union College vs University of the Cumberlands University of the Cumberlands
Union College Union College vs Lindsey Wilson College Lindsey Wilson College
Union College Union College vs Midway University Midway University
Union College Union College vs University of Pikeville University of Pikeville
Union College Union College vs Thomas More University Thomas More University
Union College Union College vs Bates College Bates College
Union College Union College vs Bowdoin College Bowdoin College
Union College Union College vs Colby College Colby College
Union College Union College vs Endicott College Endicott College
Union College Union College vs Harvard University Harvard University
Union College Union College vs Williams College Williams College
Union College Union College vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
Union College Union College vs Bard College Bard College
Union College Union College vs Clarkson University Clarkson University
Union College Union College vs Colgate University Colgate University
Union College Union College vs Cornell University Cornell University
Union College Union College vs Hamilton College Hamilton College
Union College Union College vs Hobart William Smith Colleges Hobart William Smith Colleges
Union College Union College vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Union College Union College vs University of Rochester University of Rochester
Union College Union College vs Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College
Union College Union College vs Skidmore College Skidmore College
Union College Union College vs Union College Union College
Union College Union College vs Vassar College Vassar College
Union College Union College vs Lenoir-Rhyne University Lenoir-Rhyne University
Union College Union College vs Tiffin University Tiffin University
Union College Union College vs Brown University Brown University
Union College Union College vs Tusculum University Tusculum University
Union College Union College vs Middlebury College Middlebury College
Union College Union College vs Ferrum College Ferrum College
Union College Union College vs Marian University Marian University