Graduate Programs at Western Carolina University

Graduate School Overview

Western Carolina University (referred to as Western Carolina) is a Public, 4 years school located in Cullowhee, NC. It is classified as a Doctoral/Research University school by Carnegie Classification and its highest level of offering is Doctor's degree - research/scholarship and professional practice.

The school is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (1/1/1946 - Current).

Western Carolina Directory Information
School Name	Western Carolina University (Western Carolina)
Address	Highway 107, Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646
Phone	828-227-7100
Web	https://www.wcu.edu
Online Application	https://www.wcu.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/apply.aspx
Financial Info	https://www.wcu.edu/apply/financial-aid/index.aspx

The 2023 graduate school tuition & fees at Western Carolina University is $7,566 for North Carolina residents and $17,973 for out-of-state students. The school has 1,732 graduate students where it has a total enrollment of 11,877 including undergraduate students.

It offers total 118 graduate programs through Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master's, Post-Master Certificate, Doctorate (Research), and Doctorate (Professional Practice). Among them, 24 programs are available online classes.

Graduate School 2023 Key Facts
School Type	Public, 4 years
Tuition & Fees	$17,973 $7,566 for North Carolina Residents
Student Population	1,732
Offered Degrees/Programs	Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master's, Post-Master Certificate, Doctorate (Research), and Doctorate (Professional Practice)
Number of Programs	118 graduate programs (24 programs available online learning)
Student to Faculty Ratio	15 to 1

The graduate tuition & fees at Western Carolina University is $7,566 for North Carolina residents and $17,973 for out-of-state students for the academic year 2022-2023. The tuition per credit hour is $438 for North Carolina residents and $1,203 for out-of-state students.

Western Carolina University offers the alternative tuition plans.

Western Carolina University offers the distance education programs. All course works for completing a degree program can be done through online exclusively for graduate programs. In addition, the distance learning courses are offered for students who are not enrolled online exclusively.

On its campus, academic/career services, employment services for students, placement services for completers, on-campus daycare for students' children are provided for their students.

Special Learning Opportunities & On-campus Services
Distance Learning (Online Classes)	24 Online Programs Available
Special learning Opportunities	Study abroad Teacher certification
On-Campus Student Services	Academic/career services Employment services for students Placement services for completers On-campus daycare for students' children

2023 Graduate Tuition, Fees, Other Expenses

For the academic year 2022-2023, the graduate school tuition & fees of Western Carolina University is $7,566 for North Carolina residents and $17,973 for other students. The graduate tuition & fees are increased by 0.48% compared to previous academic year.

Data source: 2022-2023 tuition - NCES(National Center for Education Statistics (Last update: July 22, 2022)

2022-2023 Graduate Tuition & fees
	North Carolina Residents		Out-of-State
	Tuition	Fees	Tuition	Fees
2018-2019	$4,435	$2,926	$14,842	$2,926
2019-2020	$4,435	$2,979	$14,842	$2,979
2020-2021	$4,435	$2,979	$14,842	$2,979
2021-2022	$4,435	$3,045	$14,842	$3,045
2022-2023	$4,435	$3,131	$14,842	$3,131

The graduate school tuition & fees of Western Carolina is average compared to public graduate schools in North Carolina. The average graduate school tuition for all graduate schools in United States is $19,603 and the North Carolina graduate tuition is $22,206 (public) / $16,286 (private).

The next table compares the average graduate school tuition by location and school types.

Graduate Tuition & fees Comparison
	Residents	Out-of-State
Western Carolina University	$7,566	$17,973
All Graduate Schools	$16,007	$19,603
Public	$11,484	$20,787
Private	$19,674
North Carolina Graduate Schools	$12,434	$17,968
Public	$8,258	$22,206
Private	$16,286

For academic year 2022-2023, the living costs are $14,224 when a student lives on-campus housing facilities (i.e. dormitory, school owned apartments, etc.) at Western Carolina University. On-campus living costs are increased by 1.38% compared to previous academic year. The off-campus living costs are $15,116. Off-campus living costs are increased by 5.26% compared to previous academic year.

2022-2023 Living Expenses
	Living On-Campus		Living Off-Campus
	Room & Board	Other Expense	Room & Board	Other Expense
2018-2019	$10,103	$2,621	$10,782	$2,621
2019-2020	$10,725	$2,679	$11,170	$2,679
2020-2021	$10,954	$3,019	$11,277	$3,019
2021-2022	$11,097	$2,933	$11,428	$2,933
2022-2023	$11,173	$3,051	$12,065	$3,051

For academic year 2022-2023, the tuition per credit hour for graduate programs is $438 for North Carolina residents and $1,203 for other students at Western Carolina University. The graduate tuition per credit hour are increased by 0.50% compared to previous academic year.

2022-2023 Graduation Program Tuition per Credit Hour
	North Carolina Residents	Out-of-State
2018-2019	$405	$1,172
2019-2020	$410	$1,168
2020-2021	$410	$1,174
2021-2022	$433	$1,197
2022-2023	$438	$1,203

Graduate Programs at Western Carolina

Western Carolina University offers 53 graduate programs for Master's, Doctorate, and Post-Graduate Certificate. The next table lists number of programs by offered degree and online availability along with number of completers by degree/certificate programs. Last year, 685 students have completed their study at Western Carolina University.

Offered Degrees at Western Carolina University
Award Level	Total Number of Programs	Available Online Class	Number of Completers
Master's Degree	30	11	544
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship	2	0	16
Doctor's degree - other	2	1	49
Post Bachelor's Degree	11	3	56
Post Master's Degree	8	1	20
Total	53	16	685

The next table shows the popular graduate programs at Western Carolina University by award level.

The most popular Post-graduate Certificate program is the Business Administration, Management and Operations (other) program with 31 completers.
The most popular Master's program is the Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse program with 57 completers.
The most popular Doctorate program is the Physical Therapy/Therapist program with 32 completers.

Popular Post-graduate Certificate Programs at Western Carolina University
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Business Administration, Management and Operations (other)	✕	31	-
Business Administration, Management and Operations (other)	✕	31	-
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling	✕	23	-
Educational Leadership and Administration	✕	15	-
School Psychology	✕	11	-

Popular Master's Programs at Western Carolina University
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse	✔	57	$98,800
Social Work	✕	54	$43,100
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration	✔	50	$60,100
Social Work	✕	49	$43,100
Education	✔	48	$39,400

Popular Doctorate Programs at Western Carolina University
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Physical Therapy/Therapist	✕	32	-
Physical Therapy/Therapist	✕	28	-
Nursing Practice	✔	17	-
Educational Leadership and Administration	✔	16	-
Educational Leadership and Administration	✔	11	-

Western Carolina University offers 53 programs through Master's, Doctorate, and Post-Graduate Certificate. The programs are offered both in online and on-site education. Last year total 685 students have completed their graduate studies.

544 students have earned/completed Master's program.
49 students have earned/completed Doctorate (Practice) program.
56 students have earned/completed Post-Bachelor's program.
20 students have earned/completed Post-Master's program.

Master's Programs and Number of Completers
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Education [+]	✔ (3 completers)	136 completers	$39,400
Education	✔	41	$39,400
Educational Leadership and Administration	✔	21	$50,200
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision	✕	14	-
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services	✕	2	$35,500
College Student Counseling and Personnel Services	✕	37	-
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Oth (other)	✔	21	-
Engineering Technology [+]	✔ (1 completers)	26 completers	-
Industrial Technology/Technician	✕	5	-
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	✔	21	-
English Language and Literature [+]	✕	10 completers	-
English Language and Literature	✕	10	-
Biological and Biomedical Sciences [+]	✕	5 completers	-
Biology/Biological Sciences	✕	5	-
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies [+]	✕	0 completers	-
Science, Technology and Society	✕	0	-
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies [+]	✔ (2 completers)	22 completers	-
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management	✔	22	-
Outdoor Education	✔	0	-
Physical Sciences [+]	✕	7 completers	-
Chemistry	✕	7	-
Psychology [+]	✕	12 completers	-
Psychology	✕	12	-
School Psychology	✕	0	-
Human Services [+]	✕	64 completers	-
Public Administration	✕	10	$42,900
Social Work	✕	54	$43,100
Visual and Performing Arts [+]	✕	4 completers	-
Fine/Studio Arts	✕	4	-
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences [+]	✔ (2 completers)	112 completers	-
Communication Sciences and Disorders	✕	29	$50,000
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	✔	38	$44,400
Athletic Training/Trainer	✕	0	-
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse	✔	45	$98,800
Business [+]	✔ (3 completers)	140 completers	-
Business Administration and Management	✕	24	$49,600
Business Administration, Management and Operations (other)	✔	36	-
Accounting	✕	21	$53,200
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration	✔	35	$60,100
Marketing (other)	✔	24	-
History [+]	✕	6 completers	-
History	✕	6	-
	Total	544

Doctorate (Research) Programs and Number of Completers
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Education [+]	✕	16 completers	-
Educational Leadership and Administration	✕	16	-
Psychology [+]	✕	0 completers	-
Clinical Psychology	✕	0	-
	Total	16

Doctorate (Practice) Programs and Number of Completers
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences [+]	✔	49 completers	-
Physical Therapy/Therapist	✕	32	-
Nursing Practice	✔	17	-
	Total	49

Post-Bachelor's Programs and Number of Completers
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Natural Resources and Conservation [+]	✕	0 completers	-
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	✕	0	-
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies [+]	✕	1 completers	-
American Indian/Native American Studies	✕	1	-
Education [+]	✔ (1 completers)	0 completers	-
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	✔	0	-
Music Teacher Education	✕	0	-
English Language and Literature [+]	✕	1 completers	-
English Language and Literature	✕	1	-
Mathematics and Statistics [+]	✔ (1 completers)	0 completers	-
Mathematics and Statistics	✔	0	-
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences [+]	✔ (1 completers)	23 completers	-
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	✕	0	-
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling	✕	23	-
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing	✔	0	-
Business [+]	✕	31 completers	-
Business Administration, Management and Operations (other)	✕	31	-
Marketing (other)	✕	0	-
	Total	56

Post-Master's Programs and Number of Completers
Program	Available Online	Number of Completers	Average Earning after graduation
Education [+]	✕	15 completers	-
Curriculum and Instruction	✕	0	-
Educational Leadership and Administration	✕	15	-
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision	✕	0	-
Elementary Education and Teaching	✕	0	-
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	✕	0	-
Engineering Technology [+]	✔ (1 completers)	0 completers	-
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	✔	0	-
Psychology [+]	✕	5 completers	-
School Psychology	✕	5	-
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences [+]	✕	0 completers	-
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse	✕	0	-
	Total	20

Graduate Student Population at Western Carolina

For the academic year 2021-2022, total 1,732 students enrolled into Western Carolina University graduate schools where it has total 11,877 students including undergraduate students. By attending status, there are 932 full-time and 800 part-time graduate students. By gender, 556 male and 1,176 female students are attending graduate schools. The next table summarizes the graduate student population by gender and attending status.

Graduate School Student Population By Gender
	Total	Male	Female
Total	1,732	556	1,176
Full-time	932	286	646
Part-tme	800	270	530

The next table summarizes the students population by race/ethnicity.

There are 1,390 White (80.25%), 117 Black/African American (6.76%), 110 Hispanic (6.35%), 22 Asian (1.27%), and 93 students with other races. 27 students are enrolled with non-resident alien status.

Graduate Student Population By Race/ethnicity
	Total	Male	Female
Total	1,732	556	1,176
American Indian/Native American	17	9	8
Asian	22	8	14
Black/African American	117	42	75
Hispanic	110	36	74
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	1	0	1
White	1,390	431	959
Two More	46	14	32
Un-Known	2	0	2
Non-resident Alien	27	16	11

Western Carolina University offers the distance learning opportunities (online degree program and/or courses) for graduate programs. 729 graduate students (42.09% of total students) are enrolled online exclusively and 368 graduate students (21.25% of total students) are enrolled some online courses. The next table summarizes the online student population.

Distance Learning Student Population
	Number of Graduate Students
Total	1,732
Enrolled Online Exclusively	729
Enrolled Some Online Courses	368
Not in Online Courses	635

The following table summarizes the graduate students population by age at Western Carolina University. 458 students are aged 20 to 24 (26.44% of total students), 1 students are aged below 20 (0.06%), 103 students are aged above 50 (5.95%). Next table summarizes the student population by age at Western Carolina University.

Graduate Student Population By Age
	Total	Male	Female
Total	1,732	556	1,176
Age 18-19	1	0	1
Age 20-21	45	13	32
Age 22-24	413	123	290
Age 25-29	409	131	278
Age 30-34	260	94	166
Age 35-39	231	83	148
Age 40-49	270	78	192
Age 50-64	97	32	65
Over 64	6	2	4

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