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Is Lees-McRae College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Lees-McRae, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Lees-McRae lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $28,340 in yearly net price and $17,375 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $43,415. For context, Lees-McRae's net price is about 14% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$26,009
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $3,172 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$28,340
Median earnings 10 years out
$43,415
Median debt at graduation
$17,375
Graduation rate
43%
At Lees-McRae, a typical graduate carries about $17,375 in student debt and earns roughly $43,415 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $198 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Lees-McRae is a private nonprofit four year school in Banner Elk, NC. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Bennett
Greensboro, NC
Worth-It Score: 16/100
Median net price: $28,299
Private nonprofit 4-year
Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, NC
Worth-It Score: 81/100
Median net price: $28,719
Private nonprofit 4-year
Duke
Durham, NC
Worth-It Score: 91/100
Median net price: $29,612
Private nonprofit 4-year
Montreat
Montreat, NC
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $27,061
Private nonprofit 4-year
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $30,857
Common questions about Lees-McRae
The median net price at Lees-McRae is $28,340 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in North Carolina? See the most affordable private colleges in North Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →