Match #1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC
Profile closeness88/100
Admit rate89%
- 14,062 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 58%, close to 61%
- Enrollment 14,062 students, close to 10,024
The colleges most similar to Western Carolina University are University of North Carolina at Greensboro, East Carolina University, and North Carolina A & T State University. Western Carolina University admits 82% of applicants and has an average net price of $13,025 a year; 4 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 5 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Western Carolina University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Western Carolina University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate89%
- 19,896 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 63%, close to 61%
- Acceptance rate 89%, close to 82%
Match #3
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate50%
- 12,182 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 56%, close to 61%
- Enrollment 12,182 students, close to 10,024
Match #4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate80%
- 24,453 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 68%, close to 61%
- Acceptance rate 80%, close to 82%
Match #5
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate78%
- 4,170 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Average net price $12,817, close to $13,025
- Acceptance rate 78%, close to 82%
Match #6
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate90%
- 19,444 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 90%, close to 82%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate87%
- 6,081 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 87%, close to 82%
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate64%
- 14,922 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Enrollment 14,922 students, close to 10,024
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, NC
Profile closeness66/100
Admit rate82%
- 5,762 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Acceptance rate 82%, close to 82%
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
Profile closeness50/100
Admit rate42%
- 27,371 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Western Carolina University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Western Carolina University?
The closest matches to Western Carolina University are University of North Carolina at Greensboro, East Carolina University, North Carolina A & T State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Winston-Salem State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Western Carolina University hard to get into?
Western Carolina University admitted 82% of its 12,308 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 5 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Western Carolina University alternatives cost less?
4 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Western Carolina University ($13,025 a year), including Fayetteville State University ($8,500), North Carolina A & T State University ($9,884), and University of North Carolina at Greensboro ($12,291). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
