Western Carolina University (WCU) vs UT Martin

Western Carolina University and The University of Tennessee-Martin, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, providing a diverse and vibrant campus community. The University of Tennessee-Martin, situated in the heart of West Tennessee, offers a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes and a strong focus on undergraduate education. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, Western Carolina is renowned for its programs in nursing, education, and business, while The University of Tennessee-Martin shines in agriculture, engineering, and natural resources. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	The University of Tennessee-Martin	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Martin, Tennessee	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	70.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1010 - 1170	1060 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 25	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	97.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	8,705	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	6,539	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,042	1,729
Yield rate	15.9%	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: $25,543 Out of state: $31,583	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$11,646	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $8,378 Out of state: $14,418	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,150 Meal plan: $3,600	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 $9,646	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $4,726	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $8,746	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,007 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	705 Men 31.1% Women 68.9%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	9.5%	17.7%
International students	0.6%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,255	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee Illinois Alabama Mississippi	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Agriculture Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	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	51.7%	61.4%
Dropout rate	24.2%	10.2%
Transferred out	21.8%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,659 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $60,746 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,143 Year 2: $58,549 Year 3: $54,762 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,441 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $54,031 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,090 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $50,797 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,529 Year 2: $44,933 Year 3: $49,155 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,555 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,563 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $44,315 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,470 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $43,643 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,201 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $42,413 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,584 Year 2: $39,860 Year 3: $39,801	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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