Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a public college in Cullowhee, NC. Its average net price is $13,025 a year - and the price families actually pay swings a lot by income, as the receipt below shows.
Money
Tuition and room and board for the 2025-26 academic year
Average Net Price by Family Income
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,446 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $8,629 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,322 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,350 |
| $110,001 and up | $18,389 |
Admissions
Outcomes
| Horizon | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 6 years after entry | $46,593 |
| 8 years after entry | $51,365 |
| 10 years after entry | $53,764 |
Campus Facts
Programs and What They Pay
Each figure prints the sample size behind it. A college figure appears only when at least 30 graduates sit behind it; smaller programs show the national median for the major instead. Read Why We Show Sample Sizes.
| Major | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $46,607 Small program - rough guide n=48 | $15,000 Small program - rough guide n=43 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $62,216 Small program - rough guide n=87 | $17,702 Small program - rough guide n=80 |
| Anthropology | $32,379 Small program - rough guide n=52 | $24,718 Small program - rough guide n=48 |
| Biology | $37,828 Small program - rough guide n=95 | $21,250 Small program - rough guide n=98 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $46,375 n=299 | $20,122 n=296 |
| Chemistry | $47,486 National median for this major n=10,597 | $24,502 Small program - rough guide n=30 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $32,846 National median for this major n=5,303 | $17,812 Small program - rough guide n=34 |
| Communications | $40,651 Small program - rough guide n=61 | $23,000 Small program - rough guide n=74 |
| Computer Science | $72,951 Small program - rough guide n=32 | Not published |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $67,639 Small program - rough guide n=57 | $23,215 Small program - rough guide n=50 |
| Criminal Justice | $42,604 n=178 | $19,750 n=187 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $41,982 Small program - rough guide n=33 | $25,466 Small program - rough guide n=32 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | $39,341 National median for this major n=2,106 | Not published |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $29,768 National median for this major n=14,923 | $25,000 Small program - rough guide n=34 |
| Economics | $60,917 National median for this major n=25,831 | Not published |
| Education | $44,614 National median for this major n=9,571 | Not published |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $74,403 Small program - rough guide n=39 | Not published |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $72,426 National median for this major n=1,586 | Not published |
| Engineering | $68,048 Small program - rough guide n=48 | $25,000 Small program - rough guide n=44 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | $64,722 Small program - rough guide n=73 | $24,464 Small program - rough guide n=45 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $31,686 Small program - rough guide n=52 | $21,250 Small program - rough guide n=49 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | $47,020 National median for this major n=3,614 | Not published |
| Environmental Conservation | $35,697 Small program - rough guide n=31 | Not published |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | $43,384 National median for this major n=1,509 | Not published |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $50,769 Small program - rough guide n=62 | $18,399 Small program - rough guide n=84 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $45,534 National median for this major n=4,652 | Not published |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $36,294 Small program - rough guide n=87 | $21,250 n=166 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $50,300 National median for this major n=20,298 | Not published |
| History | $38,156 National median for this major n=20,617 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=55 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $39,130 Small program - rough guide n=54 | $20,750 Small program - rough guide n=30 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $42,221 National median for this major n=4,870 | Not published |
| Liberal Arts | $42,801 National median for this major n=38,048 | Not published |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $50,204 Small program - rough guide n=49 | $22,040 Small program - rough guide n=48 |
| Marketing | $44,191 n=176 | $21,500 n=185 |
| Mathematics | $52,843 National median for this major n=13,762 | Not published |
| Music | $39,595 Small program - rough guide n=60 | $27,875 Small program - rough guide n=60 |
| Philosophy | $37,154 National median for this major n=6,052 | Not published |
| Political Science and Government | $43,306 National median for this major n=36,807 | Not published |
| Psychology | $34,534 n=138 | $22,000 n=193 |
| Public Administration | $56,514 Small program - rough guide n=69 | $19,765 n=122 |
| Public Health | $42,733 National median for this major n=16,894 | Not published |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $37,545 National median for this major n=12,384 | Not published |
| Recreation Management | $35,458 Small program - rough guide n=49 | $19,750 Small program - rough guide n=36 |
| Registered Nursing | $75,592 n=278 | $18,750 n=284 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $38,781 National median for this major n=3,059 | Not published |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $40,236 National median for this major n=8,855 | Not published |
| Security Science and Technology | $46,655 National median for this major n=2,893 | Not published |
| Social Sciences | $43,758 National median for this major n=5,239 | Not published |
| Social Work | $43,655 Small program - rough guide n=40 | $24,509 Small program - rough guide n=71 |
| Sociology | $40,712 National median for this major n=29,430 | $22,000 Small program - rough guide n=37 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $46,673 National median for this major n=10,747 | Not published |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $38,717 Small program - rough guide n=41 | $22,100 Small program - rough guide n=47 |
| Studio Art | $34,090 Small program - rough guide n=57 | $23,750 Small program - rough guide n=56 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $43,523 Small program - rough guide n=73 | $24,787 Small program - rough guide n=62 |
| Teaching | $43,757 n=171 | $20,635 n=128 |
Explore Further
All Colleges in North Carolina Accounting Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Anthropology Biology Business Administration, Management and Operations Chemistry Communication Disorders Sciences and Services Communications Computer Science Construction Engineering Technology/Technician Criminal Justice Design and Applied Arts Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Economics Education Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians Engineering Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General English Language and Literature, General Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Environmental Conservation Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy Finance and Financial Management Services Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Health and Medical Administrative Services History Hospitality Administration/Management International/Globalization Studies Liberal Arts Management Information Systems and Services Marketing Mathematics Music Philosophy Political Science and Government Psychology Public Administration Public Health Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Recreation Management Registered Nursing Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Security Science and Technology Social Sciences Social Work Sociology Special Education and Teaching Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Studio Art Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Teaching