Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Lenoir-Rhyne University

Western Carolina University and Lenoir-Rhyne University, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body with a strong focus on liberal arts and sciences. Lenoir-Rhyne, rooted in a Lutheran tradition, emphasizes personalized attention with smaller class sizes and a focus on pre-professional programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lenoir-Rhyne University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Hickory, North Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	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	62.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.7%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35	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	4,847	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	4,155	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	382	1,729
Yield rate	9.2%	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	$58,910	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$21,739	$13,082
Tuition	$41,500	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	$12,800	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)	100.0% Average amount $32,070	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,253	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $13,819	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,579 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	826 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	17.4%	17.7%
International students	4.4%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,039	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Virginia	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service	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	48.2%	61.4%
Dropout rate	51.6%	10.2%
Transferred out	N/A	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,504 Year 2: $66,236 Year 3: $65,004 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,396 Year 2: $48,265 Year 3: $56,352 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,513 Year 2: $48,849 Year 3: $54,337 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,847 Year 2: $37,928 Year 3: $43,319 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,616 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $42,896 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,411 Year 2: $29,374 Year 3: $36,667 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,193 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Human Services, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,965 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,990 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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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