Cullowhee, NC · Public · 10,024 undergraduates · town
Western Carolina University
Less selective
Western Carolina combines applied professional programs with a mountain location that supports outdoor, environmental, and regional health experiences.
Institutional profile
Established Solid in affordability, and solid in mobility.- Admission
- 86.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 65.1%
18,183 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$49,458 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Western Carolina University apart
Academic design
Engineering, construction management, nursing, education, business, and health sciences provide a career-oriented academic base.
Campus pattern
Cullowhee sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains near national forests and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Career & value signal
Regional schools, hospitals, manufacturers, and tourism employers provide practical placements.
Can I get in?
86.7% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
18,183About 87 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 9% submitted an SAT, and 23% submitted an ACT. Because SAT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Western Carolina University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Western Carolina University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Engineering, construction management, nursing, education, business, and health sciences provide a career-oriented academic base.
Make institutional fit specific
Western Carolina combines applied professional programs with a mountain location that supports outdoor, environmental, and regional health experiences.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Fee waiver: u.s. only
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Western Carolina University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Marketing
What is campus life like?
Western Carolina University beyond the classroom
Cullowhee sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains near national forests and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A defining academic feature
Engineering, construction management, nursing, education, business, and health sciences provide a career-oriented academic base.
What shapes an ordinary week
Cullowhee sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains near national forests and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Where the degree can lead
Regional schools, hospitals, manufacturers, and tourism employers provide practical placements.