Centenary University vs Western Carolina University (WCU)

Centenary University and Western Carolina University, while both offering quality education, present distinct characteristics that cater to different student preferences. Centenary, a private institution in Hackettstown, New Jersey, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. Its acceptance rate stands at 75%, indicating a selective admissions process. On the other hand, Western Carolina, a public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, welcomes a larger and more diverse student population, with an acceptance rate of 79%. Both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors in business, education, and nursing. However, Centenary's focus on liberal arts and sciences sets it apart, while Western Carolina emphasizes professional and pre-professional programs. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key aspects of these institutions, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and student life.

	Centenary University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Hackettstown, New Jersey	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.6%	79.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	990 - 1170	1060 - 1230
ACT range	15 - 22	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	1,346	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	1,314	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	235	1,729
Yield rate	17.9%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,092	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$24,476	$13,082
Tuition	$33,550	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,028 Meal plan: $4,284	Room/dormitory: $6,403 Meal plan: $5,029
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,470	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $3,369	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,405	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,128 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	423 Men 24.6% Women 75.4%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	17.5%	17.7%
International students	0.4%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	722	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Maryland Connecticut	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Agriculture Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.4%	61.4%
Dropout rate	28.4%	10.2%
Transferred out	N/A	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,319 Year 2: $79,755 Year 3: $88,021 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,341 Year 2: $69,593 Year 3: $63,399 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,895 Year 2: $42,979 Year 3: $50,051 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,952 Year 2: $50,375 Year 3: $48,252 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $44,457 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,867 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $42,279 Agricultural Production Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,561 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,145 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $33,877 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,324 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,321 Year 2: $103,913 Year 3: $103,661 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,207 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $72,372 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,769 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $72,367 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $65,460 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $68,635 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,202 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $64,334 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,173 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $63,171 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,798 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $61,637 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,571 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $59,030 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,835 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $58,930 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,362 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,003

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Centenary University

The Catholic University of America