Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·leeuniversity.edu
6-yr Graduation
63%
+8.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
3,714
peer median 3,175
Avg net price
$18,878
-$1.3k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
2,388
2,388 candidates competed
Admitted
1,684
70.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
589
35.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
63%+8.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
51%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
63%
Full-time retention
82%

Pell equity

12.7pp gap
Pell recipients
54%160 of 294
Non-Pell (all)
67%387 of 580
Subsidized loan, no Pell
63%127 of 202
No Federal Aid
69%260 of 378

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.7-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 94 Title IV programs, 25 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 69 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
94
Passing
25
26.6% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

94programs
  • Passing25 · 26.6%
  • No Data69 · 73.4%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
3
Watch
10
Safe
12
No data
69

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

25
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.6%
$35,702 vs $34,808
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+3.3%
$50,249 vs $48,653
Special Education and Teaching
Bachelor Degree · Education
+6.3%
$36,999 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+11.1%
$66,769 vs $60,112
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+12.3%
$52,116 vs $46,391
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+14.9%
$39,988 vs $34,808
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+16.8%
$54,167 vs $46,391
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+17.2%
$40,791 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.6%
+$894
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+3.3%
+$1,596

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

22
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
77%
$27,625 debt · $35,702 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
76%
$31,000 debt · $40,791 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Bachelor Degree · Education
74%
$27,500 debt · $36,999 earn
Education Other
Bachelor Degree · Education
73%
$30,750 debt · $42,329 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
69%
$36,000 debt · $52,116 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
65%
$35,069 debt · $54,167 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
65%
$27,000 debt · $41,882 earn
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
62%
$27,000 debt · $43,241 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1960Next review Dec 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 9

  1. Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. May 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jul 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Oct 2022Deny Substantive Change: Degree
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Sep 2022Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,834
$30–48k$13,845
$48–75k$17,029
$75–110k$19,699
$110k+$24,641

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$18,878
-$1,348vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $20,226
Federal loans
42.0%
In-state tuition
$23,790
Out-of-state
$23,790

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,156 students received $6.9M in Pell grants, alongside $16.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,156
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$6.9M
$6,867,828 total
Direct Loans
$16.8M
2,820 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.5M
1,092 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.9M
1,275 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.9M
216 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.2M
203 loan awards
Grad PLUS$293K
34 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,082 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,082
Defaulted
14
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.2%
2017
7.4%
2018
4.5%
2019
1.2%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Lee

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs112
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

696 total completions
01Business
12718.2%
02Health Professions
10715.4%
03Education
10114.5%
04Theology
10014.4%
05Psychology
618.8%
06Visual/Performing Arts
557.9%
07Liberal Arts
517.3%
08Communication
436.2%
09Parks/Recreation
263.7%
10Family/Consumer Sci
253.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
3,714
12-mo unduplicated
4,383
Undergraduate
3,829
Graduate
554

Gender split

Men
38%1,684
Women
62%2,699

Race / ethnicity composition

White
79.8%
Two or more
6.1%
Black
3.9%
Non-resident
3.1%
Unknown
2.7%
Hispanic
2.0%
Asian
1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.4%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
335
164 M · 171 W
Women athletes
51.0%
Athletic aid
$3.8M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.7M
$2.1M
Recruiting expense
$21K
$30K
Head-coach salaries
$70K
$58K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
123 M · 84 W
$1.5M
Soccer
34 M · 30 W
$1.2M
Baseball
42 M ·
$707K
Basketball
17 M · 17 W
$1.4M
Lacrosse
· 29 W
$451K
Softball
· 24 W
$481K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.63
6 offenses · 3,680 students

3-year trend

2.222 yrs ago0.761 yr ago1.63Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
19
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
7
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
3
Burglary
1
Fondling
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

6total
  • On campus6

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
3
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs01
Liquor10

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
141

Lee vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Lee selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectLee University
63%3,714$18,878Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
55%65.5%3,229$24,345Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
42%67.3%3,457$18,759Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
69%59.7%2,306$21,574Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
55%86.7%1,772$9,854Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
55%48.7%3,121$35,013Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median55%65.5%3,175$20,226

Institutions like Lee

Explore the federal data for institutions in Lee's comparison group.

Lee Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Enrollment and Marketing Sector
Phone
423-614-8616
Address
Higginbotham Administration Building, 1120 N Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37311

The Office of Institutional Research seeks to facilitate decision-making at all levels of the institution by providing institutional and unit-level data and information in an accurate and timely manner. This is accomplished by creating an atmosphere of systematic organizational planning and assessment based on best practices in higher education.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Virginia Estes
    Coordinator of Institutional Research
  • Rocky Walker
    Director of Institutional Research

Common Data Set

Lee's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Lee University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Lee.

What is the graduation rate at Lee University?

Lee University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 63% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Lee University?

Lee University reports a total enrollment of 3,714 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Lee University?

The average net price at Lee University is $18,878 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Lee University?

Lee University's yield rate is 35.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Lee University located?

Lee University is located in Cleveland, Tennessee 37311.

Who runs Institutional Research at Lee University?

Lee University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Enrollment and Marketing Sector.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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