Western Carolina University (WCU) vs FMU-Florence

Western Carolina University and Francis Marion 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. Francis Marion, located in the historic city of Florence, South Carolina, maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While Western Carolina excels in fields like nursing, education, and business, Francis Marion shines in areas such as criminal justice, social work, and biology. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, ensuring students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Francis Marion University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Florence, South Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	66.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.1%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $41 Graduate: $41	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	930 - 1120	1060 - 1230
ACT range	15 - 22	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	3,028	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	2,608	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	699	1,729
Yield rate	26.8%	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: $24,351 Out of state: $34,735	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$13,299	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $10,384 Out of state: $20,768	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	$8,230	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 $10,192	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,579	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $7,593	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,475 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	448 Men 22.8% Women 77.2%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	4.4%	17.7%
International students	1.6%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,413	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Florida Georgia Texas	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	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	43.2%	61.4%
Dropout rate	15.9%	10.2%
Transferred out	38.3%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,582 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $110,561 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,618 Year 2: $58,866 Year 3: $60,568 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,080 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $47,870 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $40,311 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,861 Year 2: $28,443 Year 3: $34,636 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,038 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $34,338 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,535 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $34,010 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,804 Year 2: $28,180 Year 3: $32,997 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,805 Year 2: $30,157 Year 3: $32,022 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,652 Year 3: $31,548	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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