Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) vs Western Carolina University (WCU)

Saint Cloud State University and Western Carolina University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Cloud State, located in Minnesota, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. Western Carolina, nestled in North Carolina, has a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Saint Cloud State excels in programs like business, education, and nursing, Western Carolina shines in fields such as health professions, engineering, and music. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover more differences, including graduation rates, student demographics, and available majors, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Saint Cloud State University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Saint Cloud, Minnesota	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	62.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.3%	79.4%
Application fees	$40	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1060 - 1230
ACT range	18 - 24	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	4,228	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	3,988	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	837	1,729
Yield rate	21.0%	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	In state: $22,317 Out of state: $31,157	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$13,615	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $7,839 Out of state: $16,679	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,036 Meal plan: $3,311	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)	83.0% Average amount $6,233	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,504	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,683	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,956 Men 45.7% Women 54.3%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	1,818 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	17.7%
International students	10.2%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,642	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Liberal Arts	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.2%	61.4%
Dropout rate	16.2%	10.2%
Transferred out	34.9%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $80,556 Year 3: $94,800 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,020 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $92,834 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,563 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $81,117 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,734 Year 2: $59,253 Year 3: $78,506 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,589 Year 2: $63,377 Year 3: $74,072 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,404 Year 2: $66,377 Year 3: $68,544 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,522 Year 3: $66,211 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,623 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $63,637 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,397 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $62,291 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,276 Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $57,748	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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