Regional university
#10 Best colleges in TennesseeLee University
Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $18,878 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,750 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes in America#57 of 292
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#163 of 690
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#256 of 1,046
In Tennessee
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Tennessee#5 of 29
- Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes in Tennessee#2 of 10
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Tennessee#2 of 10
- Best colleges for nursing in Tennessee#7 of 31
- Best colleges in Tennessee#10 of 43
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Tennessee#10 of 43
Show 7 more
- Best colleges for accounting in Tennessee#7 of 30
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Tennessee#7 of 30
- Best colleges for business in Tennessee#9 of 38
- Best colleges for marketing in Tennessee#6 of 24
- Best colleges for education in Tennessee#9 of 36
- Best mid-size colleges in Tennessee#4 of 15
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Tennessee#3 of 10
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.63%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,145 · ACT 23.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,868
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $35,688 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 3,253 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 39% · Women 61% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 31% |
| Total students | 3,680 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $18,878 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $35,688 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,750 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 63% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 49% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 46% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 58% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $43,222 |
| Admission rate | 71% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $25 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 29% |
| Average SAT | 1145 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–630 |
| SAT math | 500–600 |
| ACT composite | 20–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Accounting | |
| Nursing | |
| Business administration | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Teacher education | |
| Psychology | |
| Secondary education | |
| Pastoral counseling | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Sociology | |
| History | |
| Communication studies | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Other education | |
| Public relations | |
| Health sciences | |
| Theology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Special education | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Arts management, Bible/Biblical Studies, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer science, Computing and information science, Criminal justice, Criminology, Data Analytics, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Engineering (general), English, Experimental psychology, Family and human development, Film and video, Finance, Global studies, Health administration, Homeland Security, Human services, Interdisciplinary studies, Management science, Marketing, Mathematics, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Other parks, recreation, leisure, fitness, and kinesiology, Other theology and religious vocations, Political science, Pre-health, Public administration, Religious Education, Religious Music and Worship, Religious studies, Romance languages, Teaching English as a second language, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Theology and religious studies | |
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Education | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 8% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 18% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $10,110 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · Gulf South Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 84%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $10,075Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 63% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)About 21 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 48,8292020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | AtlantaAbout 100 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 40°F1991–2020 normal, from CLEVELAND FLTR PLT, TN US, about 6 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 78°F1991–2020 normal, from CLEVELAND FLTR PLT, TN US, about 6 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.81 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.27 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.27 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Lee University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 37% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Lee University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $18,878 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Lee University?
- Lee University admitted 71% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Lee University’s graduates do?
- 63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $43,222; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,750.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 220613
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Church of God
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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