Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina · Also known as Western · Website
$49,458
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$49,458
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western Carolina University is a public 4-year college in Cullowhee, North Carolina with 10,024 undergraduates and 1,574 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $13,315 a year (tuition and fees $4,630 in-state, $8,630 out-of-state). It admits 82% of applicants and 60% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $49,458 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,868 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$13,315
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,630
Out-of-state $8,630
Admission rate
82%
US median 78%
Completion rate
60%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,868
About $232 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$49,458
Rank 1,519 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $13,315
- Tuition in-state
- $4,630
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,630
- Cost of attendance
- $19,992
- Students with a need-based grant
- 35%
- Students with federal loans
- 44%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,816
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,012
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,605
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,060
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,992
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,623 in 2015-16 to $4,630 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 82%
- Average SAT
- 1,157
- SAT reading, middle
- 580
- SAT math, middle
- 565
- ACT, middle
- 22
- Undergraduates
- 10,024
- Graduate students
- 1,574
- Part-time students
- 18%
- Women
- 58%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Retention rate
- 79%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 108
- Endowment
- $138.1M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,519 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 147 in North Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | NC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $13,315 | $14,086 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,630 | $6,906 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 82% | 75% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 60% | 48% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 79% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,868 | $20,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,085 | $31,569 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $49,458 | $36,048 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 59% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 74% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
108 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 253 | $21,836 | $39,513 | $57,713 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 238 | $17,500 | $68,774 | $79,533 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $23,900 | $40,594 | $47,105 | $47,382 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | $21,430 | $38,682 | $55,903 | $55,378 |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 152 | $22,922 | $33,197 | $56,568 | $69,303 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 148 | $21,813 | $27,505 | $48,350 | $50,706 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 141 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Public AdministrationOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 120 | $17,234 | $56,445 | $70,331 | $65,093 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $25,193 | $28,381 | $50,180 | $57,214 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $22,060 | $40,575 | $58,076 | $83,343 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 69 | $25,807 | $47,280 | $58,911 | $65,123 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $25,090 | $53,398 | $65,010 | $70,786 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $18,697 | $28,996 | $43,322 | $56,359 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 53 | $24,927 | $41,444 | $48,232 | $51,389 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 52 | $28,117 | $73,460 | $100,807 | $103,485 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 51 | $19,618 | $26,513 | $51,213 | $65,120 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $24,818 | $36,727 | $50,025 | $51,790 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 49 | $22,818 | $59,947 | $77,673 | $83,558 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $26,000 | $63,401 | $83,954 | $93,843 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 46 | $25,000 | $29,927 | $45,079 | $48,590 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 46 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Engineering, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $25,550 | $62,244 | $82,500 | $89,359 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $19,428 | $40,607 | $61,346 | $76,194 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $23,814 | $34,909 | $42,698 | $50,680 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $25,250 | $59,813 | $78,801 | $80,526 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: North Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in North Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in North Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Western Carolina University cost?
$13,315 a year is the average net price at Western Carolina University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,630 for in-state students and $8,630 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,992. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,816 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Carolina University?
82% of applicants are admitted to Western Carolina University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,157 and the middle ACT score is 22. The median admission rate of colleges in North Carolina is 75%.
How much do Western Carolina University graduates earn?
$49,458 a year is the median pay of former Western Carolina University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,085 after 6 years). That ranks 1,519 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 147 in North Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $106,628.
How much student debt do Western Carolina University graduates have?
$21,868 is the median federal student loan debt of Western Carolina University graduates, about $232 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 44% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Western Carolina University?
60% of first-time, full-time students at Western Carolina University finish within 6 years. 79% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Western Carolina University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (253 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (238 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (169 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 108 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.