More selective than 47% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $35,688. College Scorecard.
Higher than 75% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 18% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Lee University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,150 applicants, Lee University admitted 1,552 and 553 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1230 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Lee University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Lee University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Lee University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,834 | $54,031 | 6.2 years |
| $30–48k | $13,845 | $58,287 | 6.7 years |
| $48–75k | $17,029 | $71,692 | 8.2 years |
| $75–110k | $19,699 | $82,933 | 9.5 years |
| $110k+ | $24,641 | $103,739 | 11.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (49% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($43,222) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,704 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Lee University majors, earnings & careers
Lee University offers 62 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Business & Finance · 5
- Education · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Lee University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $79,208 | $16,750 |
| Nursing | $70,388 | $25,300 |
| Business Administration | $59,274 | $25,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $54,203 | $28,979 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $48,382 | $23,832 |
| Psychology | $46,719 | $26,450 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $46,573 | $29,625 |
| Pastoral Counseling / Ministry | $45,844 | $28,750 |
Quick list of all 62 majors
- Accounting$79,208
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Bible Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$43,241
- Business Administration$59,274
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$44,095
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Criminology—
- Data Analytics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,382
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,573
- Education, Other$42,329
- Engineering—
- English—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance—
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences$41,162
- History$44,096
- Homeland Security—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Services—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$45,221
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,203
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$35,702
- Nursing$70,388
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry$45,844
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$46,719
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising$41,882
- Religious Education—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$44,193
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$36,999
- Studio Art$39,988
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry$40,791
- Theology and Religious Vocations, Other—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Cleveland
Overall prices in the Cleveland, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,270. Housing costs 40% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 58 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Bradley County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Bradley County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Lee University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Tennessee by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee University | 71% | $18,878 | 63% | $43,222 | This school |
| Lipscomb University | 68% | $24,739 | 72% | $55,541 | |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | 69% | $16,813 | 53% | $49,378 | |
| Milligan University | 72% | $21,365 | 63% | $46,641 | |
| Southern Adventist University | 66% | $24,345 | 49% | $53,723 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Lee University would cost you $5,861 less per year than Lipscomb University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Lee University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$16,782).
- Lipscomb University gives aided families $13,568 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | Lee University | Lipscomb University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $23,790 | $40,572 | −$16,782 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $1,650 | −$400 |
| Housing & meals | $9,340 | $14,804 | −$5,464 |
| Personal & travel | $4,020 | $4,400 | −$380 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,712 | −$6,309 | +$3,597 |
| Sticker price | $35,688 | $55,117 | −$19,429 |
| Average grants | −$16,810 | −$30,378 | +$13,568 |
| You pay | $18,878 | $24,739 | −$5,861 |
“+” means Lee University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Lee University
What is the Lee University acceptance rate?
Lee University accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,552 of 2,150 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1230 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
How much does Lee University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $35,688 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,878 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,834 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,641.
How much do Lee University graduates earn?
Former Lee University students earn a median $43,222 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Lee University graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
How long does a Lee University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Lee University costs about $71,692 after grants ($17,029 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,222 ten years after starting, $8,704 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 8.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Lee University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Lee University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Lee University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lee-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).