Western Carolina University College Portrait
Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC 28723
828-227-7317
Western Carolina University
Living & Learning
Western Carolina University provides outstanding opportunities for students in a dynamic living-learning environment that encourages interaction with faculty, participation in organized community service activities, and preparation for future careers. WCU’s quality enhancement plan is designed to link various elements of students’ entire university experience, in- and out-of-class, so that academic and co-curricular activities are woven together into a fabric of intentional learning.
Living in the Western Community
The Higher You Climb, the Better the View
WCU has a broad array of academic programs to meet your interests and career goals. No matter which program you choose, you'll follow a curriculum preparing you for more advanced study or to move straight into your career. We have expert faculty and over 120 top-rated programs: project management and entrepreneurship are ranked among the best in the nation. Our forensic anthropology program is taught by one of only 55 board-certified forensic anthropologists in the nation. Our College of Education and Allied Professions was the national winner for the 2007 American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Christa McAuliffe Award for Exemplary Programs in Teacher Education. Our faculty is dedicated to giving you hands-on experiences that link your classwork to real-life applications. Throughout your schooling, you can explore your options through off-campus study—from internships to study abroad to programs offered in partnership with other universities.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 9,407 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 7,503 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 3,971 | 53% |
| Men | 3,352 | 45% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 81 | 1% |
| Asian | 70 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 489 | 7% |
| Hispanic | 154 | 2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 3 | <1% |
| White | 6,249 | 83% |
| Two or More Races | 110 | 1% |
| International | 124 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 223 | 3% |
| Where do WCU undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 92% |
| Other US States & Territories | 7% |
| Other Countries | 1% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are WCU undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 20% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 17 - 24 | |
| Math | 18 - 24 | 480 - 570 |
| English | 18 - 24 | |
| Critical Reading | 470 - 560 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 35% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 75% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 93% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.51 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $14,368
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend Western Carolina University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 62% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $6,736. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 47% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $3,799. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
WCU Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 15 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 64% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 98% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 469 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 46% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 8% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 80% |
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Campus-based Housing
97% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
50% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
Nothing is more important to us than the welfare of our students. Through the Office of Student Affairs, we are constantly developing programs and initiatives to ensure the safety of students on campus, such as the Critical Incident Communication Team which provides a protocol for responding to crises on campus.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Medium four-year, highly residential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Arts & sciences plus professions, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Single doctoral (education)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
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Student Activities and Involvement at WCU
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 84% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 62% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 28% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 81% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 21% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 55% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 62% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 7% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 96% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 93% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 68% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 63% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 95% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 56% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 83% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 97% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 76% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 63% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 81% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 51% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 81% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 85% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 84% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at Western Carolina University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 1,651 |
| Master's | 519 |
| Doctoral | 9 |
| Total | 2,179 |
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| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES | 9% |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 6% |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 5% |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 4% |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at Western Carolina University |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of 2010-11 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
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Student Success & Progress Rate
A 80% four-year success and progress rate means that 80% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,529 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 153 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 74%
Student Learning at Western Carolina University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Western Carolina University is committed to creating engaged learning opportunities that incorporate teaching, research, and service through residential, distance education and international experiences.� The University is proud of its nationally and regionally recognized educational programs with particular strengths in teacher education, health sciences, and experiential learning.� At WCU, quality of academic and co-curricular programs and services is a core value and measurement of institutional quality is ensured through a continuous program of assessment that provides meaningful information for planning and decision-making.� The link below will direct you to the WCU Office of Assessment website� where you can browse assessment information related to a range of academic programs and student services.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1056
Senior Score: 1184
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 21
Senior Score: 21
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1101
Senior Score: 1091
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is below what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1089
Senior Score: 1131
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 22
Senior Score: 21
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1052
Senior Score: 1046