Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Guilford College

Western Carolina University and Guilford College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Guilford College, on the other hand, prides itself on its rigorous academic standards, reflected in its lower acceptance rate. While Western Carolina offers a diverse range of undergraduate programs, including popular choices like Business and Health Professions, Guilford College excels in the liberal arts, with majors like English and History ranking among its most sought-after. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, such as student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the ideal academic environment for your educational journey.

	Guilford College	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Greensboro, North Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	58.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.1%	79.4%
Application fees	$75	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	950 - 1200	1060 - 1230
ACT range	17 - 23	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	50.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	3,027	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	2,485	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	247	1,729
Yield rate	9.9%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$56,710	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$25,785	$13,082
Tuition	$40,400	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,200 Meal plan: $6,600	Room/dormitory: $6,403 Meal plan: $5,029
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $28,347	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,295	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $18,331	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,192 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	6 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	17.7%
International students	1.0%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,030	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	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	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	54.7%	61.4%
Dropout rate	45.3%	10.2%
Transferred out	N/A	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,322 Year 2: $49,214 Year 3: $52,625 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,842 Year 2: $46,790 Year 3: $49,838 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,060 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $49,293 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $41,023 Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $37,188 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,954 Year 2: $28,870 Year 3: $37,103 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,956 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $36,305 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,710 Year 2: $30,926 Year 3: $33,775 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,268 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $32,279 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $31,089	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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