Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina · Private, nonprofit
Graduate earnings
have graduates earning more than a typical North Carolina high-school graduate (about $34,059 a year).
7 of 24 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 17 have no earnings published. The 1 graduate programs are in the table.
Average net price, all families$28,340 a year By family income
What it would cost
Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, as reported for students who received federal aid.
Average for all families
$28,340 a year
About $113,360 over 4 years, if price and aid stay the same.
This multiplies the reported yearly net price by the years you choose. It is not a quote or a prediction: it leaves out interest, price rises and the chance of taking longer to finish.
Net price for every income band
| Family income | Net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $23,030 |
| $30k to $48k | $22,733 |
| $48k to $75k | $25,905 |
| $75k to $110k | $28,854 |
| $110k and up | $33,664 |
| All families (average) | $28,340 |
College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Bands with no figure were not reported by the school.
Program earnings
Median earnings of each program’s graduates against a typical North Carolina high-school graduate ($34,059 a year).
7 of 25 programs could be assessed 28% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoology/Animal Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $38,699 | +$4,640 | clears the bar | $23,000 | 5.0 yrs | 48 |
| Human Services | Bachelor's Degree | $43,273 | +$9,214 | clears the bar | $13,000 | 1.4 yrs | 36 |
| Criminal Justice | Bachelor's Degree | $50,085 | +$16,026 | clears the bar | $14,050 | 0.9 yrs | 25 |
| Teacher Education (by level) | Bachelor's Degree | $45,862 | +$11,803 | clears the bar | $15,000 | 1.3 yrs | 21 |
| Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $87,523 | +$53,464 | clears the bar | $19,339 | 0.4 yrs | 14 |
| Business Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $60,108 | +$26,049 | clears the bar | $17,605 | 0.7 yrs | 14 |
| Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $44,161 | +$10,102 | clears the bar | $25,624 | 2.5 yrs | 8 |
| Kinesiology and Physical Education | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 16 |
| Biology | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 12 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Theatre | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| English | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Communications and Media | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Special Education | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Teacher Education (by subject) | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Teacher Education (by subject) | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Health Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
Sources and definitions
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid. Debt is federal loans only.
- The high-school line is ED’s state benchmark, $34,059 a year.
- Earnings not published: ED reports the program but no earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were measured. Nothing reported: ED lists the program with no figures at all. Neither is a judgement of the program.
- Debt as years of gain is median federal debt divided by how much more graduates earn per year than a typical high-school graduate. It is not a repayment time.
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