Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Arkansas Tech University (ATU)

Western Carolina University and Arkansas Tech University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Arkansas Tech, situated in the vibrant city of Russellville, excels in engineering and technology programs, attracting students seeking specialized degrees. While Western Carolina's graduation rate slightly surpasses Arkansas Tech's, both universities provide ample opportunities for academic success and personal growth. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Arkansas Tech University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Russellville, Arkansas	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	63.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.4%	79.4%
Application fees	$40	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1060 - 1230
ACT range	N/A	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		12.0%
Students submitting ACT score		43.0%
Total number of applicants	6,218	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	5,868	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,396	1,729
Yield rate	23.8%	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: $27,125 Out of state: $32,861	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$11,097	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $5,736 Out of state: $11,472	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,996 Meal plan: $4,000	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)	94.0% Average amount $8,425	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $6,090	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $8,627	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,901 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	739 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	6.2%	17.7%
International students	2.2%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,100	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Missouri Tennessee	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	45.8%	61.4%
Dropout rate	30.2%	10.2%
Transferred out	22.2%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,093 Year 2: $54,974 Year 3: $63,833 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,586 Year 2: $57,955 Year 3: $59,678 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,980 Year 2: $45,808 Year 3: $58,934 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,665 Year 2: $52,607 Year 3: $58,602 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,486 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $54,362 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,609 Year 2: $49,136 Year 3: $53,009 Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,819 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,990 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,415 Year 2: $40,222 Year 3: $42,597 Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,633 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $41,833 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,931 Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $41,419	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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