Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Howard Payne University, Lee University, Belmont Abbey College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Howard PayneBrownwood, TX | Lee UniversityCleveland, TN | Belmont AbbeyBelmont, NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 67.4% | 70.5% | 74.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | 880–1160 | 1040–1230 | 960–1200 |
| Average net price | $23,62744.3% on Pell grants | $18,87828.7% on Pell grants | $24,63924.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $34,982Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $23,790Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $19,500Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 28.0% | 62.6% | 46.7% |
| First-year retention | 51.7% | 82.3% | 70.4% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 44.3% | 28.7% | 24.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $48,376 | $43,222 | $47,937 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,793 | $25,750 | $26,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | 12:1 | 12:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 713 | 2,617 | 1,276 |
| Consensus percentile | 55Lower is better | 55Lower is better | 56Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 77 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Howard Payne | Lee University | Belmont Abbey |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #25 of 104Regional colleges (West)Regional Colleges (West) · 2026 | #29 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #22 of 131Regional colleges (South)Regional Colleges (South) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #1445 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1184 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1444 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #494 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #1203 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #597 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1411 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Howard Payne University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Lee University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Belmont Abbey College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile