Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Edinboro U of P

Western Carolina University and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, both public universities with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, providing a diverse and vibrant campus community. Edinboro, located in the charming town of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit academic environment. While both universities excel in various academic programs, Western Carolina is renowned for its strong offerings in nursing, education, and business, while Edinboro shines in communication, criminal justice, and psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths, graduation rates, and student demographics, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Edinboro University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Edinboro, Pennsylvania	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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	71.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.4%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	970 - 1170	1060 - 1230
ACT range	20 - 27	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	3,042	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	2,810	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	644	1,729
Yield rate	22.9%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,054 Out of state: $31,572	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$15,771	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $7,716 Out of state: $11,574	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,660 Meal plan: $3,460	Room/dormitory: $6,403 Meal plan: $5,029
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $5,524	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,166	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $10,827	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,939 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	1,104 Men 16.8% Women 83.2%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	15.1%	17.7%
International students	1.3%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,595	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania Ohio New York Florida New Jersey	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.2%	61.4%
Dropout rate	26.1%	10.2%
Transferred out	24.7%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,523 Year 2: $60,399 Year 3: $59,420 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,756 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $57,376 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,173 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $56,592 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,809 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,348 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,077 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $49,137 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,429 Year 2: $46,272 Year 3: $48,171 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,089 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $45,159 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,686 Year 2: $44,984 Year 3: $42,888 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,030 Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $42,777 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,135 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $42,487	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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