Western Carolina University (WCU) vs University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)

Western Carolina University and University of North Carolina Wilmington, both esteemed institutions in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Carolina, nestled in the picturesque mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while UNCW, situated near the coast, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller, close-knit community. Both universities excel in different academic areas, with Western Carolina specializing in nursing, education, and engineering, and UNCW excelling in marine biology, business, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	University of North Carolina Wilmington	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Wilmington, North Carolina	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	83.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.0%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1210 - 1330	1060 - 1230
ACT range	24 - 28	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	15,792	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	10,736	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,435	1,729
Yield rate	22.7%	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: $25,855 Out of state: $39,920	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$18,792	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $4,443 Out of state: $18,508	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,926 Meal plan: $4,420	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)	53.0% Average amount $6,253	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,258	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $15,490	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,488 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	3,542 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	17.4%	17.7%
International students	2.0%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	5,562	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 Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia New Jersey	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	16:1	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	71.8%	61.4%
Dropout rate	6.5%	10.2%
Transferred out	20.7%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,377 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $103,988 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,601 Year 2: $65,486 Year 3: $79,923 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,987 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $73,712 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,073 Year 2: $60,957 Year 3: $73,607 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,368 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $72,729 Chemistry (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,551 Year 2: $55,108 Year 3: $65,524 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,331 Year 2: $59,253 Year 3: $63,301 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,853 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $58,788 Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $55,086 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,700 Year 2: $43,201 Year 3: $54,656	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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