← All colleges

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC · Public · Town (distant) · WCU · Western

Public institution in Cullowhee, NC · 9,867 undergraduates · 87% acceptance rate · $49,458 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$12,579485th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$4,532122nd cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$8,532175th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$19,057316th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$21,868871st lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,4581,097th highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$43,0851,014th highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
59.1%805th highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
75.5%936th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
86.7%1,115th most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
1151520th highest of 1,022 reporting
Median ACT
22604th highest of 952 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates
9,867260th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
16.0:11,454th smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
32.9%1,049th highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 127 mi (CLT)

On 1 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
$65
Personal essay
Optional / not required
Writing supplement
No

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 55 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$63,600$62,012
Public Administrationbachelors$58,221$52,107
Engineering Technology, GeneralEngineering Technologybachelors$57,770$54,996
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professionsbachelors$57,705$57,318
Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technologybachelors$55,061$58,221
Electrical Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technologybachelors$55,036$42,682
Computer Sciencebachelors$50,856$53,775
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professionsbachelors$49,918$49,227
Management Information Systems and ServicesBusinessbachelors$43,240$40,821
Security Science and TechnologyHomeland Security & Law Enforcementbachelors$40,068$40,017
Accounting and Related ServicesBusinessbachelors$39,153$37,856
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusinessbachelors$38,289$39,369

Campus facts

Athletics — 9 sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,417,328 (M $2,098,022 · W $1,319,306)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Western Carolina University’s 9,867 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In NC

Elsewhere