Ferris State vs Western Carolina University (WCU)

Ferris State University and Western Carolina University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Ferris State, located in Big Rapids, Michigan, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Western Carolina, nestled in Cullowhee, North Carolina, stands out with its higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While Ferris State excels in programs like Engineering Technology and Construction, Western Carolina shines in fields such as Nursing and Education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, popular majors, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ferris State University	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Big Rapids, Michigan	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.8%	79.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	930 - 1150	1060 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 26	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	66.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	10,480	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	8,884	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,405	1,729
Yield rate	15.8%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$24,285	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$13,624	$13,082
Tuition	$12,740	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,450 Meal plan: $4,678	Room/dormitory: $6,403 Meal plan: $5,029
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	90.0% Average amount $10,575	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	54.0% Average amount $5,319	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $12,922	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,248 Men 47.2% Women 52.8%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	1,113 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	6.6%	17.7%
International students	1.4%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	3,312	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Florida Indiana Wisconsin	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.7%	61.4%
Dropout rate	39.2%	10.2%
Transferred out	10.5%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $110,849 Year 2: $123,608 Year 3: $124,236 Optometry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $93,610 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $107,632 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,938 Year 2: $74,122 Year 3: $77,998 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $65,051 Year 2: $81,498 Year 3: $77,389 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $75,822 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,062 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $75,775 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,334 Year 2: $64,837 Year 3: $75,354 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,507 Year 2: $67,240 Year 3: $71,530 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,480 Year 2: $69,535 Year 3: $70,863 Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,397 Year 2: $65,905 Year 3: $70,419	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,321 Year 2: $103,913 Year 3: $103,661 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,207 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $72,372 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,769 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $72,367 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $65,460 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $68,635 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,202 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $64,334 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,173 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $63,171 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,798 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $61,637 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,571 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $59,030 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,835 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $58,930 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,362 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,003

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