More selective than 20% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $44,621. College Scorecard.
Higher than 48% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 44% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Lenoir-Rhyne University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,299 applicants, Lenoir-Rhyne University admitted 5,082 and 377 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Lenoir-Rhyne 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 Lenoir-Rhyne University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne 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 North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $18,669 | $78,223 | 6.5 years |
| $30–48k | $18,768 | $78,638 | 6.5 years |
| $48–75k | $17,209 | $72,106 | 6.0 years |
| $75–110k | $21,878 | $91,669 | 7.6 years |
| $110k+ | $25,866 | $108,379 | 9.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (41% 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 ($45,543) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,027 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.
Lenoir-Rhyne University majors, earnings & careers
Lenoir-Rhyne University offers 44 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Lenoir-Rhyne University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,839 | $26,300 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $53,609 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $44,131 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 44 majors
- Accounting—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,131
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Services—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,609
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,839
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Hickory
Overall prices in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,147. Housing costs 40% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Catawba County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Catawba County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Lenoir-Rhyne University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | 85% | $20,689 | 48% | $45,543 | This school |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 80% | $27,426 | 49% | $43,418 | |
| Guilford College | 80% | $22,270 | 46% | $47,590 | |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | 80% | $17,432 | 42% | $45,873 | |
| Catawba College | 75% | $17,879 | 47% | $48,793 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Lenoir-Rhyne University would cost you $6,737 less per year than Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Lenoir-Rhyne University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$10,519).
- Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte gives aided families $6,664 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Lenoir-Rhyne University | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $31,900 | $42,419 | −$10,519 |
| Books & supplies | $1,360 | $1,200 | +$160 |
| Housing & meals | $12,900 | $15,644 | −$2,744 |
| Personal & travel | $3,250 | $1,758 | +$1,492 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,789 | −$2,999 | −$1,790 |
| Sticker price | $44,621 | $58,022 | −$13,401 |
| Average grants | −$23,932 | −$30,596 | +$6,664 |
| You pay | $20,689 | $27,426 | −$6,737 |
“+” means Lenoir-Rhyne 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 Lenoir-Rhyne University
What is the Lenoir-Rhyne University acceptance rate?
Lenoir-Rhyne University accepts 85% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,082 of 6,299 applicants were admitted.
How much does Lenoir-Rhyne University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $44,621 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,689 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,669 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,866.
How much do Lenoir-Rhyne University graduates earn?
Former Lenoir-Rhyne University students earn a median $45,543 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Lenoir-Rhyne University graduation rate?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a Lenoir-Rhyne University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Lenoir-Rhyne University costs about $72,106 after grants ($17,209 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,543 ten years after starting, $12,027 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 6.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Lenoir-Rhyne University the right fit for your family?
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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: “Lenoir-Rhyne University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lenoir-rhyne-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).