USW vs. Lees-McRae College

Should I go to University of the Southwest or Lees McRae College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USW 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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University of the Southwest vs. Lees McRae College comparison
University of the Southwest Lees McRae College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 USW Lees-McRae College
Location Hobbs, NM Banner Elk, NC
Setting Rural Fringe Distant Rural
Enrollment 1,066 855
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usw.edu lmc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USW Lees-McRae College
Tuition (In State) $17,000 $26,490
Tuition (Out of State) $17,000 $26,490
Room & Board $8,910 $12,200
Avg Net Price $20,533 $24,108
Avg Grant Aid $8,365 $18,205
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 USW Lees-McRae College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,733
Admitted - 1,063
Acceptance Rate Open 61.3%
Enrolled % Open 19.9%
Avg High School GPA 2.63 -
Typical High School Grades C+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26
SAT Range 1040/1240
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 USW Lees-McRae College
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Education (29%)
  • Psychology (17%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)

Outcomes

 USW Lees-McRae College
Graduation Rate 18% 24%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,700 $34,300
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $20,000
Median Loan Payment $242 $206

Diversity

 USW Lees-McRae College
% Men 38% 35%
% Women 62% 65%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 12% 67%
% Black 14% 7%
% Hispanic 47% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 1%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 26% 18%

Students

 USW Lees-McRae College
% In-State 48% 45%
% Out-of-State 48% 50%

Campus

 USW Lees-McRae College
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

  • University of the Southwest is larger than than Lees-McRae College based on total student enrollment (1,066 students vs. 855 students)

USW vs. Lees-McRae College Cost Comparison

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

  • Lees McRae College is 55.8% more expensive to attend than USW for in-state tuition ($26,490.00 vs. $17,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55.8% higher at Lees-McRae College than University of the Southwest ($26,490.00 vs. $17,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of the Southwest than Lees-McRae College ($20,533 vs. $24,108)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the Southwest are 36.9% lower than costs at Lees McRae College ($8,910 vs. $12,200)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at University of the Southwest as Lees McRae College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lees McRae College students is 117.6% larger than aid received University of the Southwest ($18,205 vs. $8,365)

Which college is harder to get into, USW 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 USW .

USW vs. Lees-McRae College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USW 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 USW.

  • The graduation rate at Lees-McRae College is higher than University of the Southwest (24% vs. 18%)
  • Graduates from University of the Southwest earn on average $11,400 more per year than Lees-McRae College graduates after ten years. ($45,700 vs. $34,300)
  • Lees McRae College students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than USW graduates. ($20,000 vs. $23,500)
  • Lees-McRae College graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than USW graduates. ($206 vs. $242)
  • More Lees-McRae College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USW students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 47%)

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