Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Pfeiffer University

Western Carolina University and Pfeiffer University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque town of Cullowhee, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Its larger size provides a wider range of academic programs, with popular majors in nursing, business, and education. Pfeiffer, located in the charming town of Misenheimer, offers a more intimate learning environment with a lower student-to-faculty ratio. It excels in healthcare-related fields, with popular majors in nursing, biology, and exercise science. While Western Carolina boasts a higher graduation rate, Pfeiffer's smaller class sizes may provide a more personalized and supportive learning experience. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pfeiffer University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Misenheimer, North Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	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	69.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.8%	79.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	891 - 1165	1060 - 1230
ACT range	18 - 25	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	1,335	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	958	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	189	1,729
Yield rate	19.7%	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	$48,254	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$19,198	$13,082
Tuition	$31,160	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,200 Meal plan: $6,074	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 $25,674	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	80.0% Average amount $5,318	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $9,494	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	744 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	378 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	22.7%	17.7%
International students	1.9%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	728	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 Florida Virginia Texas	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	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	34.4%	61.4%
Dropout rate	29.9%	10.2%
Transferred out	35.7%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,886 Year 2: $70,176 Year 3: $75,235 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,276 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,314 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,216 Year 2: $40,312 Year 3: $42,763 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $31,664 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $35,672 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,712 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,785 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,418 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Security Science and Technology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: N/A Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,369 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,389 Year 2: $53,984 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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