Western Carolina University
Built for athletes. The numbers a recruit needs and a coach won't volunteer: roster room, the money behind the program, admissions fit, what a family really pays, campus life and safety.
Western Carolina University is a public doctoral/professional university in Cullowhee, NC (town setting), with 10,009 undergraduates (59% women). It admitted 87% of 18,183 applicants — lower half for selectivity among Division I schools; the middle half of admitted students scored 1050–1260 on the SAT and 20–26 on the ACT (test-optional). Cost of attendance is $24,319 a year for out-of-state students and $20,319 in-state; aided first-year students paid $12,252 on average after grants (top quarter for affordability in its division). 59% of students graduate within six years. The most common bachelor's degrees are in health professions & nursing, business, education. The campus reported 2.51 violent offences per 1,000 students a year over 2022–2024 — bottom quarter for safety among Division I schools.
Against Division I schools
Percentile among 366 Division I institutions; higher is better on every bar.
Selectivity, graduation, net price and safety (violent offences per 1,000 students, three-year average). Method.
Where Western Carolina University ranks
2 top-ten finishes among Division I schools, across 64 data-built lists.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →- Setting
- Town
- Type
- Public · Doctoral/professional university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 59%
Cost
Full picture →- Tuition & fees
- $4,532 in-state · $8,532 out
Campus safety
Full picture →- In residence halls
- 7 burglaries · 62 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 18 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →Your coaches
Research Western Carolina University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Western Carolina University teams on the site
| Program | Conference | Roster | Cap | Coaches | Budget | Per player | APR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Soccer | Southern Conference | 32 | 4 over | 3 | $559k | $17,467 | 985 | |
| Baseball | Southern Conference | 41 | 7 over | 6 | $980k | $23,890 | 961 | |
| Men's Basketball | Southern Conference | 16 | 1 over | 5 | $1.5M | $94,256 | 973 | |
| Women's Basketball | Southern Conference | 12 | room 3 | 5 | $1.2M | $98,576 | 985 | |
| Men's Cross Country | Southern Conference | — | — | 1 | — | — | 971 | |
| Women's Cross Country | Southern Conference | — | — | 1 | — | — | 984 | |
| Football | Southern Conference | 120 | 15 over | 20 | $3.9M | $32,564 | 981 | |
| Men's Golf | Southern Conference | 9 | at cap | 1 | $272k | $30,225 | 1000 | |
| Women's Golf | Southern Conference | 6 | room 3 | 1 | $285k | $47,494 | 1000 | |
| Softball | Southern Conference | 20 | room 5 | 3 | $556k | $27,823 | 995 | |
| Women's Tennis | Southern Conference | 8 | room 2 | 3 | $267k | $33,320 | 991 | |
| Men's Track & Field | Southern Conference | 112 | 67 over | 3 | $404k | $3,605 | 968 | |
| Women's Track & Field | Southern Conference | 100 | 55 over | 3 | $405k | $4,051 | 967 | |
| Women's Volleyball | Southern Conference | 15 | room 3 | 3 | $502k | $33,440 | 975 |
The whole athletics department — every team with staff and aid totals.