Western Carolina University (WCU) vs University of North Carolina at Asheville

Western Carolina University and University of North Carolina at Asheville, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque town of Cullowhee, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. UNC Asheville, situated in the vibrant city of Asheville, offers a more selective admissions process, ensuring a highly competitive academic environment. While Western Carolina excels in fields like nursing, education, and business, UNC Asheville shines in disciplines such as environmental studies, music, and psychology. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional program offerings, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of North Carolina at Asheville	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Asheville, North Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: 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	75.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.6%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1130 - 1330	1060 - 1230
ACT range	22 - 29	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	33.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	4,550	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	3,714	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	605	1,729
Yield rate	16.3%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,331 Out of state: $39,679	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$13,838	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $4,122 Out of state: $21,470	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,778 Meal plan: $4,470	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)	90.0% Average amount $7,610	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,008	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $10,387	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,233 Men 42.5% Women 57.5%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	N/A	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	15.8%	17.7%
International students	1.1%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,575	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 Florida South Carolina Virginia Georgia	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions English Language and Literature Visual & Performing Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	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	64.6%	61.4%
Dropout rate	9.5%	10.2%
Transferred out	25.1%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,950 Year 2: $58,885 Year 3: $63,274 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,943 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $46,511 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,020 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $43,063 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,424 Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $38,410 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,029 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $35,109 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,487 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: $34,805 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,198 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $32,166 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,208 Year 2: $24,164 Year 3: $31,326 Public Health (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,657 Year 2: $31,447 Year 3: $30,850 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,443 Year 2: $25,774 Year 3: $29,244	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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