Western Carolina University (WCU) vs Radford

Western Carolina University and Radford University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains of Cullowhee, North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body with a strong emphasis on undergraduate teaching. Radford, situated in the vibrant city of Radford, Virginia, offers a more selective admissions process, resulting in a smaller student body with a focus on both undergraduate and graduate programs. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, Western Carolina is renowned for its programs in nursing, education, and business, while Radford shines in engineering, nursing, and psychology. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional program offerings, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Radford University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Radford, Virginia	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	67.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	95.3%	79.4%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	950 - 1150	1060 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 23	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	25.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	11,291	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	10,762	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,292	1,729
Yield rate	12.0%	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: $26,632 Out of state: $38,714	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$16,835	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $7,922 Out of state: $19,557	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,549 Meal plan: $4,487	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)	88.0% Average amount $8,695	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,344	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $12,531	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,513 Men 38.8% Women 61.2%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	2,485 Men 15.7% Women 84.3%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	11.8%	17.7%
International students	0.7%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	3,528	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia Maryland North Carolina District of Columbia Florida	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts Public Administration and Social Service	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	53.9%	61.4%
Dropout rate	12.1%	10.2%
Transferred out	33.2%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,194 Year 2: $102,123 Year 3: $109,693 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,901 Year 2: $73,769 Year 3: $74,138 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,548 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $70,994 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,340 Year 2: $70,736 Year 3: $70,676 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,891 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $69,846 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,291 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $62,174 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,868 Year 2: $57,366 Year 3: $60,113 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,758 Year 2: $62,508 Year 3: $59,947 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,726 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $59,246 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,039 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $57,452	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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