Private nonprofit · University

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee · Small city

70.5%
Admit rate
$18,878
Avg net price
63%
Graduation rate
$43,222
Median earnings

Lee University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Cleveland, Tennessee (small city setting), enrolling 2,617 undergraduates. It has a Church of God religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,617 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 71% admitNCAA Division II without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Lee University's admitted students.

Admit rate
70.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1040–1230
Avg GPA (est.)
3.31

Enter a test score to see where you land against Lee University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Lee University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Cleveland, Tennessee

Cleveland is the county seat of and the largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee. Peoples of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, beginning about 900–1000 CE, established numerous villages along the river valleys and tributaries. The MainStreet Cleveland Halloween Block Party draws more than 20,000 people to the city every year. The event began in 1988 as a candy handout at the Cleveland Police Department and Centenary Avenue, and has grown to one of the largest events in Cleveland. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
293 miles
Nearest airport
21 miles to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)

How Lee University compares

Selectivity70.5%

More selective than 63% · #21 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1145

Higher than 44%

Graduation rate63%

Higher than 65% · #11 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention82%

Higher than 68%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,222

Higher than 20% · #32 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$18,878

Cheaper than 55% · #22 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$25,750

Lower than 27%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment2,617

Larger than 65%

Percentiles compare Lee University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Tennessee.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,060students
  • Undergraduate2,61786%
  • Graduate44314%

Undergraduates by gender

2,617undergrads
  • Women1,54459%
  • Men1,07341%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White80%
  • Black3.9%
  • Hispanic2.0%
  • Asian1.5%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,617
Graduate enrollment
443
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
29%
First-generation students
31%
Students over 25
18%
Median family income
$49,230
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$68,895
Endowment
$32,936,546

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
70.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1040–1230
SAT average
1145
SAT reading
540–630
SAT math
500–600
ACT composite
20–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.31

Cost

In-state tuition
$23,790
Room & board
$10,110
Books & supplies
$1,320
Total cost of attendance
$35,688
Average net price
$18,878

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
63%
Graduated on time (4 years)
51%
First-year retention
82%
Transferred to another college
24%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,082
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$43,222
Median debt at graduation
$25,750
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
51%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
51%
Low-income (Pell)
44%
First-generation
39%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,037
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
78%
Housing charge (year)
$4,640
Meal plan (year)
$4,700
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
459 (238 men · 221 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)207
Soccer64
Baseball42
Basketball34
Lacrosse29
Softball24
Golf22
Tennis19
Volleyball18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
8
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,714 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

6.3reported offenses a year
2.7 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
3.3
Aggravated assault
1.3
Fondling
1.0
Rape
0.3
Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,834
$30–48k
$13,845
$48–75k
$17,029
$75–110k
$19,699
$110k+
$24,641

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$72,928

$17,029/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

89%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$9,958
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 89% — get grant money from Lee University itself, averaging $9,958, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 516 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$43,222
Typical debt at graduation
$25,750
Debt vs. one year's pay
60%
Out-earn a HS grad
51%

Typical debt would take roughly 6.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$39,631
Men
$47,820

Men out-earn women by $8,189 (21%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
89°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
57.6″
Annual snow
1.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cleveland Fltr Plt, TN US station (5.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Lee University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lee University side by side →

Colleges near Lee University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.