What is Western Carolina University’s Compass Score?

Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 40% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.

How much does Western Carolina University cost after financial aid?

The average net price is $13,315 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.

How hard is it to get into Western Carolina University?

Western Carolina University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.

How do Western Carolina University’s graduates do?

60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,458; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,868.

National university

#8 Best colleges for criminal justice in North Carolina

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $13,315 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,868 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In North Carolina

Academic Excellence

Good · Top 40%

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score60%
First-year retention 20% of score79%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,157 · ACT 22
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score16 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$9,410

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family income	Price after aid
Up to $30,000	$8,816
$30,001–$48,000	$10,012
$48,001–$75,000	$12,605
$75,001–$110,000	$17,060
Over $110,000	$17,992

Full cost of attendance before aid: $19,992 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	10,009
Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023	Men 42% · Women 58%
First-generation students College Scorecard	33%
First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023	20%
Total students	11,628
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$13,315
Cost of attendance (per year)	$19,992
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,868
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	60%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years	62%
Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years	60%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years	59%
First-year retention	79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$49,458
Admission rate	82%
Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24	$65
Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026	About $879 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants	35%

Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1080–1270ACT 19–25

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1157
SAT reading & writing	560–660
SAT math	520–610
ACT composite	19–25
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 31% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
Major	Median earnings
Computer science	$86,853
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	$83,954
Engineering (general)	$82,500
Nursing	$79,533
Electrical engineering technology	$79,441
Engineering Technologies/Technicians	$78,801
Public administration	$70,331
Allied health	$65,010
Management information systems	$62,128
Public health	$61,698
Accounting	$61,346
Mathematics	$59,885
Design	$58,467
Finance	$58,076
Business administration	$57,713
Marketing	$56,568
Criminal justice	$55,903
Security science	$54,246
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	$53,622
Speech-language pathology	$52,183
Political science	$52,077
Chemistry	$51,213
Kinesiology and exercise science	$50,761
Biology	$50,180
Social work	$50,025
Rehabilitation and therapy	$49,898
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	$49,834
Hospitality management	$49,798
Psychology	$48,350
Secondary education	$48,232
Teacher education	$47,105
Special education	$47,031
Sociology	$46,195
Anthropology	$45,809
English	$45,079
Music	$44,014
Broadcasting	$43,954
Communication studies	$43,322
Fine arts	$43,029
History	$42,698
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	$41,786
Natural resources and conservation	$40,831
Romance languages	$40,744
Theatre	$34,516

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Economics, Education (general), Electrical engineering, Entrepreneurship, Geology and earth science, Global studies, Health administration, Health sciences, Liberal arts, Philosophy, Social sciences.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
Field	Share of degrees
Health professions	22%
Business	21%
Education	8%
Public administration and social service	6%
Psychology	6%

Campus life

School colors
Setting	Town
Part-time undergraduates	18%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older	20%
On-campus room and board (per year)	$12,354
Sports	NCAA Division I · Southern Conference
Study abroad	Offered
Students per faculty member	16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability office	About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time	74%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student	$12,530IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm space	For about 48% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline service	Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)About 37 miles away · about 1 hour 15 minutes by car
Nearest major airport	Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 127 miles away
Town population	7,973Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or more	AtlantaAbout 128 miles away · about 3 hours 15 minutes by car
Typical weather	37°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Cullowhee, NC

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
Category	This campus	U.S. rate
Rape	0.21	0.07
Robbery	0.00	0.01
Aggravated assault	0.02	0.04
Burglary	0.06	0.08
Motor vehicle theft	0.36	0.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Western Carolina University’s Compass Score?: Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 40% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Western Carolina University cost after financial aid?: The average net price is $13,315 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Western Carolina University?: Western Carolina University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Western Carolina University’s graduates do?: 60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,458; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,868.

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About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 200004
Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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