Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina · Public
Graduate earnings
45of 45 assessed undergraduate programs
have graduates earning more than a typical North Carolina high-school graduate (about $34,059 a year).
45 of 63 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 18: 15 with no earnings published and 3 with nothing reported. 1 verdict uses 1-year earnings, an earlier career stage. The 46 graduate programs are in the table.
Average net price, all families$13,315 a year By family income
What it would cost
Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, as reported for students who received federal aid.
Average for all families
$13,315 a year
About $53,260 over 4 years, if price and aid stay the same.
This multiplies the reported yearly net price by the years you choose. It is not a quote or a prediction: it leaves out interest, price rises and the chance of taking longer to finish.
Net price for every income band
| Family income | Net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $8,816 |
| $30k to $48k | $10,012 |
| $48k to $75k | $12,605 |
| $75k to $110k | $17,060 |
| $110k and up | $17,992 |
| All families (average) | $13,315 |
College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Bands with no figure were not reported by the school.
Program earnings
Median earnings of each program’s graduates against a typical North Carolina high-school graduate ($34,059 a year).
63 of 109 programs could be assessed 58% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $57,713 | +$23,654 | clears the bar | $21,836 | 0.9 yrs | 253 |
| Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $79,533 | +$45,474 | clears the bar | $17,500 | 0.4 yrs | 238 |
| Teacher Education (by level) | Bachelor's Degree | $47,105 | +$13,046 | clears the bar | $23,900 | 1.8 yrs | 169 |
| Criminal Justice | Bachelor's Degree | $55,903 | +$21,844 | clears the bar | $21,430 | 1.0 yrs | 156 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $56,568 | +$22,509 | clears the bar | $22,922 | 1.0 yrs | 152 |
| Psychology | Bachelor's Degree | $48,350 | +$14,291 | clears the bar | $21,813 | 1.5 yrs | 148 |
| Public Administration | Bachelor's Degree | $70,331 | +$36,272 | clears the bar | $17,234 | 0.5 yrs | 120 |
| Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $50,180 | +$16,121 | clears the bar | $25,193 | 1.6 yrs | 85 |
| Finance | Bachelor's Degree | $58,076 | +$24,017 | clears the bar | $22,060 | 0.9 yrs | 85 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $58,911 | +$24,852 | above HS line | $25,807 | 1.0 yrs | 69 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Bachelor's Degree | $65,010 | +$30,951 | clears the bar | $25,090 | 0.8 yrs | 60 |
| Communications and Media | Bachelor's Degree | $43,322 | +$9,263 | clears the bar | $18,697 | 2.0 yrs | 58 |
| Teacher Education (by subject) | Bachelor's Degree | $48,232 | +$14,173 | clears the bar | $24,927 | 1.8 yrs | 53 |
| Business Administration | Master's Degree | $100,807 | +$66,748 | above HS line | $28,117 | 0.4 yrs | 52 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $51,213 | +$17,154 | clears the bar | $19,618 | 1.1 yrs | 51 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $50,025 | +$15,966 | clears the bar | $24,818 | 1.6 yrs | 50 |
| Human Resources | Master's Degree | $77,673 | +$43,614 | above HS line | $22,818 | 0.5 yrs | 49 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Bachelor's Degree | $83,954 | +$49,895 | clears the bar | $26,000 | 0.5 yrs | 48 |
| English | Bachelor's Degree | $45,079 | +$11,020 | clears the bar | $25,000 | 2.3 yrs | 46 |
| Engineering, General | Bachelor's Degree | $82,500 | +$48,441 | clears the bar | $25,550 | 0.5 yrs | 45 |
| Accounting | Bachelor's Degree | $61,346 | +$27,287 | clears the bar | $19,428 | 0.7 yrs | 45 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $42,698 | +$8,639 | clears the bar | $23,814 | 2.8 yrs | 45 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | Bachelor's Degree | $78,801 | +$44,742 | clears the bar | $25,250 | 0.6 yrs | 44 |
| Fine Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $43,029 | +$8,970 | clears the bar | $25,159 | 2.8 yrs | 42 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $51,558 | +$17,499 | above HS line | $41,000 | 2.3 yrs | 41 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $45,809 | +$11,750 | clears the bar | $20,732 | 1.8 yrs | 40 |
| Kinesiology and Physical Education | Bachelor's Degree | $50,761 | +$16,702 | clears the bar | $24,302 | 1.5 yrs | 38 |
| Communication Disorders | Bachelor's Degree | $52,183 | +$18,124 | clears the bar | $20,870 | 1.2 yrs | 38 |
| Nursing | Master's Degree | $122,811 | +$88,752 | above HS line | $36,847 | 0.4 yrs | 38 |
| Management Information Systems | Bachelor's Degree | $62,128 | +$28,069 | clears the bar | $22,300 | 0.8 yrs | 37 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $44,014 | +$9,955 | clears the bar | $26,000 | 2.6 yrs | 36 |
| Hospitality Management | Bachelor's Degree | $49,798 | +$15,739 | clears the bar | $25,657 | 1.6 yrs | 32 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Bachelor's Degree | $41,786 | +$7,727 | clears the bar | $21,415 | 2.8 yrs | 31 |
| Healthcare Administration | Master's Degree | $63,641 | +$29,582 | above HS line | $14,240 | 0.5 yrs | 31 |
| Theatre | Bachelor's Degree | $34,516 | +$457 | clears the bar | $24,722 | 54.1 yrs | 30 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | Bachelor's Degree | $40,831 | +$6,772 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 29 |
| Kinesiology and Physical Education | Master's Degree | $77,046 | +$42,987 | above HS line | not published | not assessed | 29 |
| Education | Master's Degree | $54,249 | +$20,190 | above HS line | $22,137 | 1.1 yrs | 27 |
| Political Science | Bachelor's Degree | $52,077 | +$18,018 | clears the bar | $22,500 | 1.2 yrs | 27 |
| Communication Disorders | Master's Degree | $56,344 | +$22,285 | above HS line | $41,000 | 1.8 yrs | 27 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Master's Degree | $87,4081-year earnings | +$53,349 | above HS line (1-yr) | not published | not assessed | 25 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $59,885 | +$25,826 | clears the bar | $26,000 | 1.0 yrs | 25 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $46,195 | +$12,136 | clears the bar | $23,250 | 1.9 yrs | 25 |
| Physical and Occupational Therapy | Bachelor's Degree | $49,898 | +$15,839 | clears the bar | $23,187 | 1.5 yrs | 25 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Bachelor's Degree | $49,834 | +$15,775 | clears the bar | $18,500 | 1.2 yrs | 23 |
| Design | Bachelor's Degree | $58,467 | +$24,408 | clears the bar | $29,911 | 1.2 yrs | 23 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $86,853 | +$52,794 | clears the bar | $27,000 | 0.5 yrs | 22 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $72,948 | +$38,889 | above HS line | $26,000 | 0.7 yrs | 22 |
| Educational Administration | Master's Degree | $68,241 | +$34,182 | above HS line | $16,418 | 0.5 yrs | 19 |
| Special Education | Bachelor's Degree | $47,031 | +$12,972 | clears the bar | $20,485 | 1.6 yrs | 19 |
| Radio, TV and Digital Media | Bachelor's Degree | $43,954 | +$9,895 | clears the bar | $25,000 | 2.5 yrs | 18 |
| Electrical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $69,0671-year earnings | +$35,008 | clears the bar (1-yr) | $31,000 | 0.9 yrs | 17 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $79,441 | +$45,382 | clears the bar | $22,457 | 0.5 yrs | 15 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $40,744 | +$6,685 | clears the bar | $23,250 | 3.5 yrs | 15 |
| English | Master's Degree | $46,104 | +$12,045 | above HS line | not published | not assessed | 13 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Bachelor's Degree | $53,622 | +$19,563 | clears the bar | $23,952 | 1.2 yrs | 13 |
| Accounting | Master's Degree | $75,418 | +$41,359 | above HS line | $22,410 | 0.5 yrs | 12 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $61,698 | +$27,639 | clears the bar | $27,000 | 1.0 yrs | 10 |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $58,995 | +$24,936 | above HS line | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychology | Master's Degree | $54,6821-year earnings | +$20,623 | above HS line (1-yr) | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Security Science and Technology | Bachelor's Degree | $54,246 | +$20,187 | clears the bar | $21,500 | 1.1 yrs | not published |
| Physical and Occupational Therapy | Doctoral Degree | $77,060 | +$43,001 | above HS line | $69,085 | 1.6 yrs | not published |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | Master's Degree | $71,161 | +$37,102 | above HS line | not published | not assessed | not published |
| Health Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 141 |
| Physical and Occupational Therapy | First Professional Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 46 |
| Business Administration | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 35 |
| Teacher Education (by level) | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 29 |
| Nursing | First Professional Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 19 |
| Outdoor Education | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 17 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 15 |
| Educational Administration | Doctoral Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 14 |
| Educational Administration | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 12 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 12 |
| Psychology | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 10 |
| Geology and Earth Science | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| History | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Biology | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Liberal Arts and General Studies | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | $25,860 | not assessed | 6 |
| Chemistry | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| History | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Music | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Nursing | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Special Education | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Special Education | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| English | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Statistics | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychology | First Professional Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Fine Arts | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Healthcare Administration | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Mental Health and Counseling Services | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Finance | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | Bachelor's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Master's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Science, Technology and Society | Master's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychology | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nursing | Doctoral Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Sources and definitions
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid. Debt is federal loans only.
- The high-school line is ED’s state benchmark, $34,059 a year.
- Earnings not published: ED reports the program but no earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were measured. Nothing reported: ED lists the program with no figures at all. Neither is a judgement of the program.
- Debt as years of gain is median federal debt divided by how much more graduates earn per year than a typical high-school graduate. It is not a repayment time.
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