Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC, United States
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Western Carolina University has 67 programs with reported graduate earnings. The highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (doctoral), where graduates earn a median $209,047 one year after finishing, against $133,687 for the same field nationally.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$53,764
Former students who received federal aid
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, one and four years after finishing, and the median federal loan debt they borrowed at Western Carolina University. The field median is the middle value for the same field and credential across every college that reports it. 39 more programs have too few graduates for earnings to be published.
Highest-earning programs
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 23 | $72,951 | $86,853 | $99,17712% below | $20,518 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 53 | $67,639 | $83,954 | $92,1679% below | $23,215 |
| Engineering, General | 37 | $68,048 | $82,500 | $87,5176% below | $25,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 266 | $75,592 | $79,533 | $86,0208% below | $15,193 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 10 | $64,202 | $79,441 | $83,3225% below | $26,000 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | 42 | $64,722 | $78,801 | $78,8010% above | $22,620 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 16 | $74,403 | N/A | $81,6169% below | $19,500 |
| Public Administration | 112 | $56,514 | $70,331 | $64,9538% above | $18,450 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 94 | $62,216 | $65,010 | $67,6764% below | $16,500 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 35 | $50,204 | $62,128 | $81,42424% below | $20,722 |
| Public Health | 11 | N/A | $61,698 | $57,3987% above | N/A |
| Accounting and Related Services | 33 | $46,607 | $61,346 | $73,05416% below | $15,375 |
| Mathematics | 17 | $60,560 | $59,885 | $70,62815% below | $21,954 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 22 | $41,982 | $58,467 | $52,72711% above | $25,500 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 78 | $50,769 | $58,076 | $77,31225% below | $18,615 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 270 | $46,375 | $57,713 | $64,59011% below | $17,823 |
| Marketing | 158 | $44,191 | $56,568 | $66,54215% below | $20,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 158 | $42,604 | $55,903 | $54,4693% above | $19,288 |
| Security Science and Technology | Not available | $35,646 | $54,246 | $57,5096% below | $23,071 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 14 | N/A | $53,622 | $55,8934% below | N/A |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 27 | $28,394 | $52,183 | $58,49111% below | $17,750 |
| Political Science and Government | 27 | $36,388 | $52,077 | $61,61315% below | $23,000 |
| Chemistry | 74 | $43,593 | $51,213 | $66,36623% below | $24,605 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 36 | $38,717 | $50,761 | $53,0244% below | $21,720 |
| Biology, General | 74 | $37,828 | $50,180 | $57,55813% below | $21,218 |
| Social Work | 51 | $43,655 | $50,025 | $51,8594% below | $23,320 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 19 | $39,414 | $49,898 | $54,8229% below | $20,750 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 27 | $38,903 | $49,834 | $53,6427% below | $19,763 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 16 | $39,130 | $49,798 | $55,85611% below | $18,653 |
| Psychology, General | 163 | $34,534 | $48,350 | $50,0663% below | $20,380 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 55 | $43,523 | $48,232 | $50,8275% below | $25,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 127 | $43,757 | $47,105 | $47,7301% below | $19,339 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 13 | $47,374 | $47,031 | $51,2588% below | $24,937 |
| Sociology | 27 | $40,218 | $46,195 | $52,10511% below | $21,655 |
| Anthropology | 40 | $32,379 | $45,809 | $45,8330% above | $24,000 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 42 | $31,686 | $45,079 | $48,7738% below | $21,950 |
| Music | 46 | $39,595 | $44,014 | $43,3871% above | $27,750 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 17 | N/A | $43,954 | $48,4849% below | $25,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 48 | $40,651 | $43,322 | $53,82520% below | $19,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 44 | $34,090 | $43,029 | $41,5504% above | $19,500 |
| History | 33 | $30,763 | $42,698 | $50,38715% below | $22,200 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 31 | $35,458 | $41,786 | $49,42415% below | $20,250 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 16 | $35,697 | $40,831 | $54,62725% below | $19,391 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | $42,921 | $40,744 | $56,04727% below | $18,838 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 121 | $36,294 | N/A | $40,17810% below | $20,261 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 31 | N/A | $34,516 | $40,05314% below | $25,000 |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 35 | $102,535 | $122,811 | $120,3382% above | $31,584 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 25 | $102,324 | N/A | $91,60512% above | N/A |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 51 | $85,783 | $100,807 | $95,1276% above | $23,828 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 50 | $67,325 | $77,673 | $85,1929% below | $27,901 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 31 | $51,288 | $77,046 | $60,55327% above | $15,246 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 15 | $64,633 | $75,418 | $93,22819% below | N/A |
| Public Administration | 18 | N/A | $72,948 | $77,1755% below | $35,533 |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | Not available | N/A | $71,161 | $101,72630% below | N/A |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 35 | $66,024 | $68,241 | $69,9442% below | N/A |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 21 | $63,486 | $63,641 | $89,92829% below | $24,001 |
| Marketing | 12 | $100,745 | $58,995 | $83,92630% below | N/A |
| Social Work | 65 | $52,233 | $58,911 | $62,5976% below | $35,682 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 27 | $59,376 | $56,344 | $65,78614% below | $41,000 |
| Education, General | 40 | $50,631 | $54,249 | $63,75415% below | $32,980 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 43 | $46,221 | $51,558 | $58,99813% below | $40,495 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 4 | N/A | $46,104 | $61,26925% below | N/A |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Not available | $209,047 | N/A | $133,68756% above | $73,675 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 16 | $86,083 | N/A | $96,45711% below | N/A |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Not available | $71,587 | $77,060 | $82,6337% below | $49,619 |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 49 | $58,407 | N/A | $72,53519% below | N/A |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 0 | $51,644 | N/A | $56,2458% below | N/A |
Careers linked to the programs Western Carolina University reports, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for the whole occupation, not for this college's graduates.
Healthcare practitioners
Master's degree
Via Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Public Administration, Business Administration, Management and Operations and 2 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Public Administration, Business Administration, Management and Operations and 2 more
Science
Master's degree
Via Psychology, General, Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Computer Science, Business Administration, Management and Operations and 1 more
Science
Doctoral or professional degree
Via Public Health
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