Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Auburn Montgomery

Western Carolina University and Auburn University at Montgomery, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand ready to shape your academic journey. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Auburn University at Montgomery, situated in the vibrant capital of Alabama, offers a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes. Both universities excel in different academic areas, with Western Carolina excelling in fields like nursing and education, while Auburn University at Montgomery shines in business and engineering. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, and make an informed decision that aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	Auburn University at Montgomery	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Montgomery, Alabama	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.8%	79.4%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	950 - 1160	1060 - 1230
ACT range	17 - 24	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	4.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	3,405	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	3,296	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	539	1,729
Yield rate	16.4%	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: $24,186 Out of state: $34,146	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$14,322	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $7,992 Out of state: $17,952	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,680 Meal plan: $2,688	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)	98.0% Average amount $6,916	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $5,292	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,086 Men 33.0% Women 67.0%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	982 Men 40.4% Women 59.6%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.2%	17.7%
International students	8.2%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,200	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Florida Louisiana	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Computer and Information Science Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	35.7%	61.4%
Dropout rate	24.2%	10.2%
Transferred out	34.1%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,992 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $71,134 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,141 Year 2: $53,269 Year 3: $57,382 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,952 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,220 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $48,651 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $47,009 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,414 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $46,691 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,957 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $42,565 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $41,787 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,978 Year 2: $36,134 Year 3: $41,036 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,985 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $40,016	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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