Western Carolina University

Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Population 60,000

Weather

Comfortable Days 130 (95% 😎)
Sunshine Hours 2,520 (36%)
Days Without Precipitation 241 (41%)

Honors College

Name Brinson Honors College
Students 1,200 (14%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 8,679
Men / Women 44% / 56%
From State 76%
From Region 15%
Athletes 370 (4.5%)

Racial/Ethnic

White 75%
Hispanic 9%
Black 7%
Mixed 4%
International 2%
Native American 1%
Asian 1%

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Western Carolina University 2,391 41% 77% 1% 6% 8% 2% $63,214 20 -0.73 75 96% 5.7%
Electrical Engineering 20 — 80% 70% 5% 10% 5% 10% $96,108 6 -0.99 97 100% — — — —
General Engineering 35 +1 77% 71% 0% 0% 9% 9% $89,855 23 -0.66 95 100% — — — —
Computer Science 31 +1 94% 74% 6% 6% 6% 3% $98,614 22 -0.77 97 100% — — — —
Chemistry 24 +6 50% 75% 0% 0% 8% 8% $60,722 9 -1.05 71 94% — — — —
Forensic Chemistry 49 +3 20% 76% 6% 2% 12% 0% $60,722 9 -1.05 71 94% — — — —
Geosciences 6 +1 17% 83% 0% 0% 17% 0% $59,940 30 -0.46 70 — — — — —
Mathematics 13 +10 46% 77% 0% 0% 0% 0% $44,182 0 -1.55 33 100% — — — —
Biology 63 +6 33% 71% 0% 6% 13% 2% $54,055 6 -1.44 59 97% — — — —
Dietetics/Dietitian 10 — 10% 90% 0% 10% 0% 0% $55,913 16 -0.77 63 93% — — — —
Environmental Science 20 +3 30% 85% 0% 0% 0% 0% $46,022 4 -1.59 38 100% — — — —
Communication Sciences and Disorders 27 — 0% 81% 0% 0% 11% 4% $54,167 14 -1.03 59 94% — — — —
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) 70 +1 60% 86% 0% 3% 6% 0% $74,947 73 +0.44 86 98% — — — —
Environmental Health 6 — 50% 83% 17% 0% 0% 0% $64,873 43 -0.25 77 96% — — — —
Integrated Health Sciences 102 — 27% 72% 1% 9% 8% 1% $58,411 19 -0.69 67 — — — — —
Nursing 292 — 15% 79% 1% 5% 8% 1% $88,087 38 -0.41 94 96% 3.2% — — —
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy 18 — 22% 83% 0% 0% 17% 0% $46,519 4 -1.50 39 98% — — — —
Accounting 20 +6 55% 70% 0% 0% 15% 10% $72,651 19 -0.93 85 96% — — — —
Applied Economics 3 +2 67% 33% 0% 0% 0% 33% $62,156 3 -1.35 73 — — — — —
Business Management and Administration 224 +20 43% 71% 2% 11% 9% 2% $61,344 12 -0.85 72 96% 7.0% — — —
Entrepreneurship 9 — 56% 22% 0% 33% 33% 11% $59,784 15 -0.71 70 — — — — —
Finance 76 +17 67% 78% 1% 4% 9% 3% $65,392 3 -1.16 78 96% 6.9% — — —
Hospitality Management 13 +1 31% 92% 0% 8% 0% 0% $54,462 23 -0.55 59 94% — — — —
Management Information Systems and Statistics 28 +1 71% 57% 4% 4% 4% 25% $62,565 2 -1.71 74 96% — — — —
Marketing 38 +4 39% 71% 0% 11% 13% 0% $58,386 4 -1.49 67 97% 8.8% — — —
Marketing 82 +22 48% 72% 1% 10% 6% 4% $58,386 4 -1.49 67 96% 8.8% — — —
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management 33 — 64% 76% 0% 3% 9% 0% $42,968 1 -1.59 29 87% — — — —
Sports Management 26 +5 88% 65% 0% 15% 4% 4% $53,927 23 -0.78 58 98% — — — —
English 41 +1 22% 88% 0% 0% 5% 2% $50,083 42 -0.28 49 96% — — — —
History 40 — 45% 85% 2% 2% 8% 0% $50,658 25 -0.61 50 95% — — — —
Philosophy 12 +1 50% 75% 0% 0% 25% 0% $36,531 1 -1.88 14 100% — — — —
Spanish 6 +1 33% 50% 0% 0% 50% 0% $46,371 12 -1.04 39 88% — — — —
Anthropology 40 +8 20% 75% 2% 2% 10% 2% $45,261 3 -1.05 36 98% — — — —
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy 28 — 57% 89% 4% 0% 4% 0% $53,125 13 -0.83 56 96% — — — —
Intercultural and International Studies 12 +2 8% 50% 0% 0% 17% 25% $55,825 9 -0.88 62 89% — — — —
Political Science 20 +6 55% 75% 5% 5% 10% 0% $49,916 1 -1.64 48 100% — — — —
Psychology 145 +12 22% 74% 1% 6% 9% 1% $45,898 4 -1.39 37 94% — — — —
Public Administration 117 +11 68% 83% 3% 3% 7% 1% $80,414 80 +0.60 90 85% 3.9% — — —
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication 10 — 70% 90% 0% 10% 0% 0% $45,972 4 -1.48 38 96% — — — —
Social Work 25 — 8% 68% 4% 8% 8% 0% $54,501 56 +0.15 60 96% — — — —
Sociology 9 +10 56% 67% 0% 33% 0% 0% $52,747 37 -0.38 55 91% — — — —
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 41 +1 44% 85% 0% 7% 2% 0% $50,411 11 -1.07 49 90% — — — —
Elementary Education 46 — 9% 85% 2% 0% 9% 0% $49,459 31 -0.42 47 95% — — — —
English Education 5 — 20% 80% 0% 0% 0% 20% $51,441 31 -0.56 52 97% — — — —
General Education 11 +4 55% 45% 0% 27% 18% 9% $47,167 13 -0.93 41 — — — — —
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 5 — 40% 80% 0% 0% 20% 0% $49,459 21 -0.66 47 95% — — — —
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching 46 — 2% 78% 2% 15% 2% 0% $49,459 31 -0.42 47 95% — — — —
Mathematics Teacher Education 2 — 50% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $51,441 24 -0.61 52 97% — — — —
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 6 — 33% 83% 0% 0% 17% 0% $51,441 22 -0.78 52 97% — — — —
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 4 — 50% 75% 0% 0% 0% 25% $51,441 24 -0.61 52 97% — — — —
Social Studies Teacher Education 11 — 36% 91% 0% 0% 9% 0% $51,441 21 -0.68 52 97% — — — —
Special Education 7 — 14% 86% 0% 0% 14% 0% $45,249 4 -1.61 36 100% — — — —
Art Education 7 — 14% 86% 0% 0% 0% 0% $51,441 75 +0.49 52 97% — — — —
Fine Arts 9 — 11% 89% 0% 0% 0% 0% $45,415 43 -0.15 36 96% — — — —
Interior Design 31 — 10% 84% 0% 6% 6% 0% $55,630 8 -1.43 62 100% — — — —
Music 8 — 50% 62% 0% 0% 0% 0% $46,684 48 -0.01 40 100% — — — —
Music Education 10 — 60% 80% 0% 0% 0% 0% $51,441 70 +0.50 52 97% — — — —
Music Performance 26 — 62% 81% 0% 4% 0% 0% $46,684 48 -0.01 40 100% — — — —
Studio Art 26 — 15% 92% 0% 0% 4% 0% $45,415 43 -0.15 36 96% — — — —
Theater 17 — 41% 76% 0% 12% 6% 0% $40,367 34 -0.36 23 87% — — — —
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 54 — 96% 89% 0% 4% 6% 0% $83,471 7 -1.51 91 95% — — — —
Criminal Justice 119 +10 54% 74% 0% 4% 14% 1% $59,395 50 -0.07 69 97% 7.0% — — —
Electrical Engineering Technology 14 — 86% 57% 14% 0% 14% 14% $72,806 9 -1.32 85 100% — — — —
Engineering Technologies 43 — 88% 84% 2% 2% 7% 0% $85,107 31 -0.30 92 100% — — — —

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $4,864
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $9,181
Est. In-State Cost $6,292
Est. Out-of-State Cost $11,877
ROI Percentile 75th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 79%
4-Year Graduation Rate 44%
6-Year Graduation Rate 60%
Transfer-Out Rate 27%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Business & Economics 23.1% 552 52% 71% 1% 9% 9% 4% $60,099 5 -1.11 70 96% 7.5%
Health Sciences 21.5% 515 23% 79% 1% 5% 8% 1% $76,922 50 -0.42 88 97% 3.2%
Social Sciences 18.7% 447 40% 78% 2% 5% 7% 2% $56,809 44 -0.67 64 92% 3.9%
Professional 9.6% 230 72% 78% 1% 3% 11% 1% $70,671 57 -0.53 83 97% 7.0%
Education 6.0% 143 17% 80% 1% 7% 8% 2% $49,465 21 -0.57 47 96% —
Arts 5.6% 134 31% 83% 0% 4% 3% 0% $48,224 34 -0.35 44 97% —
Humanities 4.1% 99 35% 83% 1% 1% 11% 1% $48,448 14 -0.66 44 96% —
Physical Sciences & Math 3.8% 92 32% 76% 3% 1% 10% 2% $58,334 3 -1.08 67 95% —
Life & Natural Sciences 2.6% 63 33% 71% 0% 6% 13% 2% $54,055 6 -1.44 59 97% —
Engineering 2.3% 55 78% 71% 2% 4% 7% 9% $92,129 7 -0.78 95 100% —
Computer Science 1.3% 31 94% 74% 6% 6% 6% 3% $98,614 29 -0.77 97 100% —
Agriculture & Food Science 1.3% 30 23% 87% 0% 3% 0% 0% $49,319 10 -1.31 46 98% —

Research R3

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Physical Sciences & Math $0.7M #399 85% $0 — — — —
Engineering $0.5M #319 49% $0.0M — — — —
Humanities & Social Sciences $0.4M #398 92% $0 — — — —
Life & Natural Sciences $0.3M #445 74% $0.0M — — — —
Agriculture & Food Science $0.3M #211 61% $0.0M — — — —
Education $0.1M #378 56% $0.0M 16 #251 — —
Health Sciences $0.0M #392 0% $0.0M — — — —
Business & Economics $0 #456 — $0 — — — —
Computer Science $0 #525 — $0 — — — —
Total $2.3M #478 72% $0.1M 16 #413 — —

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Sports NCAA D1

⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Football 120 $3.9M $3.9M $0
Track & Field (combined) 112 $403K $403K $0
Baseball 41 $979K $979K $0
Basketball 16 $1.5M $1.5M $0
Golf 9 $272K $272K $0
Total 235 $7.1M $7.1M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 100 $405K $405K $0
Soccer 32 $558K $558K $0
Softball 20 $556K $556K $0
Volleyball 15 $501K $501K $0
Basketball 12 $1.2M $1.2M $0
Tennis 8 $266K $266K $0
Golf 6 $284K $284K $0
Total 135 $3.8M $3.8M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 212 $808K $808K $0
Football 120 $3.9M $3.9M $0
Baseball 41 $979K $979K $0
Soccer 32 $558K $558K $0
Basketball 28 $2.7M $2.7M $0
Softball 20 $556K $556K $0
Golf 15 $556K $556K $0
Volleyball 15 $501K $501K $0
Tennis 8 $266K $266K $0
Total 370 $16.3M $16.3M $0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. Each team's revenue and expenses are what the college attributes to it. The Total view's totals row is the department's grand total, which also includes money not attributed to any team; the Male and Female totals rows only add up their teams.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 66%
Yield (non-ED) 21%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 88% 52% 7%
Unhooked Early Decision 0% 0% —

Hooked: legacy, recruited athletes, and faculty-related

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 30%
SAT Range 1090 – 1250
SAT Math Range 520 – 610
SAT RW Range 560 – 650