UTC-Chattanooga vs Western Carolina University (WCU)

Nestled in the scenic landscapes of Tennessee and North Carolina, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC) and Western Carolina University (WCU) stand as two distinct academic havens, each offering a unique educational experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. This side-by-side comparison delves into these differences, providing prospective students with valuable insights to help them make informed decisions about their higher education journey. Explore the comprehensive table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Chattanooga, Tennessee	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	73.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.7%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1030 - 1230	1060 - 1230
ACT range	20 - 26	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	89.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	7,607	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	6,518	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,074	1,729
Yield rate	31.8%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,798 Out of state: $40,916	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$13,552	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $7,992 Out of state: $24,110	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,348 Meal plan: $4,114	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)	96.0% Average amount $9,566	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	44.0% Average amount $4,907	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $10,148	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	10,016 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	1,441 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	11.5%	17.7%
International students	1.2%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	3,488	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee Georgia Alabama Virgin Islands California	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Business Education Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	53.7%	61.4%
Dropout rate	44.3%	10.2%
Transferred out	N/A	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $146,119 Year 2: $145,898 Year 3: $147,996 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,736 Year 2: $76,041 Year 3: $80,605 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,245 Year 2: $72,883 Year 3: $78,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,841 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $74,942 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,600 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,667 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,404 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $71,084 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,427 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $70,983 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,615 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $69,556 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,269 Year 2: $71,255 Year 3: $69,322 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,241 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,753	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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