Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Western Carolina University Featured Rankings
- #8 North Carolina's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in North Carolina
- #9 Best Public Colleges in North Carolina
- #10 Best Grad Schools in North Carolina 2026
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in North Carolina 2026
- #12 The Most Affordable Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #12 North Carolina's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #12 Online Bachelor’s in Law/Legal Studies
- #17 Best Colleges in North Carolina
- #18 Online Bachelor’s in Education
- #18 Online Master’s in Project Management
- #23 Most Affordable Graduate Schools
About Western Carolina University
According to Wikipedia, Western Carolina University is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded to educate the people of the western North Carolina mountains. WCU provides an education to students from 48 states and 35 countries. Enrollment for the Fall 2020 semester was 12,243 students.
Western Carolina University's Online Degrees
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Project Management
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
ME in Innovation Leadership & Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BSBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Innovation Leadership And Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BSBA in Business Administration And Law
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Criminal Justice
Degree Concentrations
- Concentration In Administration Of Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Emergency And Disaster Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching, Comprehensive Education
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
MAEd in Education Elementary Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MAEd in Education Middle Grades Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MAT in Teaching, Comprehensive Education
Degree Concentrations
- Tesol
- Stem
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MAT in Education Special Education
- Required Credits: 42
- Format: Fully online
BS in Birth-Kindergarten Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MAEd in Education Special Education
- Required Credits: 30-33
- Format: Fully online
MAEd in Comprehensive Education
- Required Credits: 30-36
- Format: Fully online
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Culturally-Based Native Health
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Post-Master's Certificate in Nurse Educator
- Required Credits: 19
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Nursing Nurse Educator
- Required Credits: 38-39
- Format: Fully online
MSN in Nursing Nurse Leadership
- Required Credits: 40-41
- Format: Fully online
Western Carolina University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18,183 | 82% | 79% | 61% | 1175 | 22 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Western Carolina University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $4,685 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,446 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,629 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,322 |
| 75K - 110K | $15,350 |
| 110K+ | $18,389 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Western Carolina University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Western Carolina University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $53,764 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Western Carolina University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 13,206 | 11,291 | 1,915 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Western Carolina University?
Western Carolina University is located at Highway 107, Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646.
How Safe is Western Carolina University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Western Carolina University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Western Carolina University has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.18%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Western Carolina University Known For?
Western Carolina University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- Biology
- History
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Education
- Engineering
- Business
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Medical
- Economics
- Psychology
- Nursing
Western Carolina University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Western Carolina University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Western Carolina University ranks #145 in the U.S. and #425 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #394 in the U.S. and #1470 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #425 in the U.S. and #1281 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #437 in the U.S. and #822 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #461 in the U.S. and #1886 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #503 in the U.S. and #2430 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #515 in the U.S. and #2192 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #529 in the U.S. and #1553 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #549 in the U.S. and #1341 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #584 in the U.S. and #2008 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #604 in the U.S. and #2422 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #651 in the U.S. and #2661 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #671 in the U.S. and #2887 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #753 in the U.S. and #4267 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #795 in the U.S. and #3028 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #823 in the U.S. and #3659 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #838 in the U.S. and #2774 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #1063 in the U.S. and #3639 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #1075 in the U.S. and #5740 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #1103 in the U.S. and #2891 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWestern Carolina University ranks #1294 in the U.S. and #3307 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Western Carolina University's Most Influential Alumni?
Western Carolina University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Literature. Here are some of Western Carolina University's most famous alumni:
- David Sedaris
- An American author.
- Jason Bond
- An American biologist.
- Louis Ducruet
- A Monegasque royal.
- Judy Green
- An American volleyball coach.
- Geoff Collins
- An American football coach.
- Kevin Martin
- An American basketball player.
- Mark Martin
- An American judge.
- Carol Fowler Durham
- An American Clinical Professor of Nursing.
- David Joy
- An American novelist.
- Todd Fuller
- An American basketball player.
- Ernest A. Fitzgerald
- An American bishop.
- Rich Hall
- An American comedian, writer and musician..
Who Are Western Carolina University's Most Influential Faculty?
Western Carolina University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Literature. Here are some of Western Carolina University's most famous faculty:
