Lees-McRae College named College of Distinction for 7th year, earns national and state-wide recognition

BANNER ELK, N.C.─ Lees-McRae College has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction as one of the best colleges in North Carolina. Lees-McRae is one of only 14 colleges and universities in the state that has earned the honor this year.

In addition to earning a spot on the North Carolina-specific list, Lees-McRae was also named to the organization’s national Colleges of Distinction 2024 list, along with their Affordable Colleges of Distinction, Top Business Colleges of Distinction, and Top Education Colleges of Distinction lists. This is the seventh year Lees-McRae has been recognized on each of these lists.  

Earning these recognitions from Colleges of Distinction means that Lees-McRae consistently and successfully embodies the organization’s four primary distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. These awards reflect the college’s dedication to fostering experiential learning, strengthening student-faculty relationships, maintaining an active campus community, and facilitating post-graduate professional success.

“We’ve never ranked our schools,” Chief Operating Officer at Colleges of Distinction Tyson Schritter said. “No student is alike, so there can’t be a number-one school for everyone. We are much more focused on the innovative ways that colleges are offering their own brand of a truly rich undergraduate education.”

By focusing on experiential learning across academic disciplines, offering unique academic programs and facilities, and building a community based “In the Mountains, Of the Mountains, and For the Mountains,” the college’s distinctiveness sets it apart.

Visit Colleges of Distinction’s Lees-McRae College profile >>