Western Carolina University: Statistics

Updated: EliteDegrees
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PositionCategory
# 1520 of 14,131 In the World
# 413 of 2,597 In North America
# 370 of 2,496 In the United States
# 11 of 1 In Cullowhee
# 299 of 1,000 For Special Education
Top 1-3 For 11 other topics
Subject rankings

Quick Review

Acceptance rate

82%

Enrollment

12,230

Average SAT

1,175

Average ACT

22

Aid receiving

90%

Undergraduates

10,112

Graduates

1,574

Male:Female Ratio

40:60

Type

Public
not-for-profit

Highest Degree

Doctor's degree

Website

Acceptance rate & Admissions

Western Carolina University has an acceptance rate of 82% and is among the top 1% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 82% 82% 82%
Applicants 19,742 7,815 11,892
Admissions 16,154 6,146 9,990
Freshmen enrolled full time 2,023 853 1,170

Admissions requirements

College-preparatory program Required
Secondary school GPA Required
Secondary school rank Required
Secondary school record Required
TOEFL Required
Recommendations Considered but not required
SAT/ACT Considered but not required
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

â–  White 76%
â–  Nonresident Alien 2%
â–  Asian 1%
â–  Hispanic 8%
â–  Black or African American 7%
â–  Two or more races 4%

Tuition

Below is the standard credit pricing for the various degree levels offered at Western Carolina University.

Degree Level Cost Per Credit
Associate Degree 1,749 CR
Bachelor Program 1,950 CR
Master Program 2,149 CR
Ph.D. / Doctoral 2,850 CR
Final tuition fees may vary based on specific department requirements, residency status, and selected elective courses. Please contact the admissions office for a detailed financial breakdown.

Western Carolina University majors

Western Carolina University has granted 2,539 bachelor's degrees across 63 programs, 575 master's across 28 programs, and 83 doctorate degrees across 4 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Western Carolina University.

Major Bachelor Master Doctoral
Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse 266 35 -
Business Administration and Management, General 255 27 -
Psychology, General 150 14 -
Criminal Justice & Safety Studies 139 - -
Public Administration 105 18 -
Health Services & Allied Health & Health Sciences, General 121 - -
Social Work 51 65 -
Emergency Medical Technology & Technician (EMT Paramedic) 91 - -
Kindergarten & Preschool Education and Teaching 82 - -
Biology & Biological Sciences, General 68 12 -
Construction Engineering Technology & Technician 53 25 -
Marketing & Marketing Management, General 70 - -
Sport and Fitness Administration & Management 35 31 -
Finance, General 63 - -
Marketing, Other 50 12 -
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 27 27 -
Engineering Technologies & Technicians, General 42 9 -
Human Resources Management & Personnel Administration, General - 50 -
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 48 - -
Physical Therapy & Therapist - - 47
Accounting 30 15 -
English Language and Literature, General 41 4 -
Education, General - 40 -
Elementary Education and Teaching 40 - -
Forensic Chemistry 40 - -
Engineering, General 37 - -
History, General 30 6 -
Educational Leadership and Administration, General - 19 16
Music Performance, General 35 - -
Management Information Systems, General 34 - -
Fine & Studio Arts, General 33 - -
Anthropology, General 32 - -
Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General 31 - -
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 31 - -
College Student Counseling and Personnel Services - 30 -
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other - 28 -
Environmental & Natural Resources Management and Policy, General 26 - -
Chemistry, General 20 5 -
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other - 24 -
Political Science and Government, General 23 - -
Computer Science 22 - -
Interior Design 22 - -
Health & Health Care Administration & Management - 21 -
Therapeutic Recreation & Recreational Therapy 19 - -
Nursing Practice - - 17
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other 17 - -
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision - 16 -
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 16 - -
Hospitality Administration & Management, General 16 - -
Music Teacher Education 16 - -
Environmental Science 15 - -
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 15 - -
Sociology, General 15 - -
Dietetics & Dietitian 14 - -
Mathematics, General 14 - -
Counselor Education & School Counseling and Guidance Services - 13 -
Special Education and Teaching, General 13 - -
Outdoor Education - 12 -
Environmental Health 11 - -
Geology & Earth Science, General 11 - -
Art & Art Studies, General 10 - -
Athletic Training & Trainer - 10 -
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology & Technician 10 - -
Music, General 10 - -
Spanish Language and Literature 10 - -
Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Studies 9 - -
Philosophy 9 - -
International & Globalization Studies 8 - -
English & Language Arts Teacher Education 7 - -
School Psychology - 6 -
Art Teacher Education 5 - -
Junior High & Intermediate & Middle School Education and Teaching 5 - -
Liberal Arts and Sciences & Liberal Studies 5 - -
Social Studies Teacher Education 5 - -
Applied Economics 4 - -
Science Teacher Education & General Science Teacher Education 4 - -
Clinical Psychology - - 3
Mathematics Teacher Education 3 - -
Industrial Technology & Technician - 1 -
Grand Total 2,539 575 83

Publications & Citations

Western Carolina University has published 5,771 scientific papers with 110,620 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Political Science, Law, Psychology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Sociology, Medicine, Biology, and Engineering.

Publication / Citation count by topic

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
4,009 / 84,125
Political Science
2,683 / 45,938
Law
2,492 / 43,751
Psychology
2,427 / 58,548
Computer Science
2,403 / 58,477
Environmental Science
2,379 / 51,789
Sociology
2,360 / 55,831
Medicine
2,341 / 44,101
Biology
2,314 / 57,412
Engineering
1,873 / 29,712
Philosophy
1,828 / 42,432
Business
1,742 / 30,978
Physics
1,621 / 27,975
Mathematics
1,565 / 33,896
Geography and Cartography
1,410 / 34,561
Economics
1,343 / 20,258
History
1,240 / 26,075
Chemistry
1,220 / 23,167
Geology
1,114 / 31,891
Ecology
1,106 / 24,857
Social Psychology
1,059 / 35,728
Quantum and Particle physics
973 / 17,112
Archaeology
963 / 23,435
Statistics
887 / 24,323
Development Studies
870 / 10,687
Psychiatry
859 / 19,670
Education
825 / 12,625
Linguistics
821 / 17,550
Paleontology
814 / 25,590
Management
810 / 18,642
Art & Design
789 / 11,068
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
740 / 12,852
Mathematics Education
682 / 12,264
Genetics
645 / 21,199
Child Psychology
638 / 18,027
Health Science
630 / 8,860
Pathology
608 / 12,200
Biochemistry
571 / 11,760
Neuroscience
553 / 14,559
Anthropology
538 / 24,655

Annual publication & citation counts

Academic rankings

31 Notable alumni

Juanita Moody

1. Juanita Moody

1924-2015 (aged 91)
intelligence analyst cryptographer
Juanita Moody was an American cryptographer, intelligence analyst and National Security Agency (NSA) executive. She worked for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) and NSA from 1943 until 1976.
+ show more
Sam Watford

2. Sam Watford

politician
Sam Watford was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 80th House district, including part in Davidson county. He served three terms as Davidson County Commissioner and has served on Davidson County Planning and Zoning Board. Watford is married to Karen Hege Watford, a retired teacher, and has two daughters, Morgan and Jordan. Watford supported,...
+ show more
Terrence Woodyard

3. Terrence Woodyard

1982-. (aged 44)
basketball player
Terrence Arnold Woodyard is an American former professional basketball player.
David Warlick

4. David Warlick

1952-. (aged 74)
writer
David Warlick is an educator, author, programmer, and public speaker. An early adopter and promoter of technology in the classroom, Warlick has taught and written about technology integration and school curriculum for more than 30 years. He has also developed instructional software and interactive Web sites to support teachers and students in using computers and the Internet for education.
+ show more
All 31 notable alumni
AlumnusAlumnusAlumnusAlumnus

General Info & Contacts

Alternative names WCU
Founded 1889
Motto No Matter Your Choice, Decide to Succeed
Colors purple, gold
Academic calendar August to August (August - December; January-May; May-August)
Total staff 1,712
Classification Doctoral/Professional Universities
Address Highway 107 Cullowhee, North Carolina, 28723-9646 United States
City Population 8,000
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