University of North Florida (UNF) vs Western Carolina University (WCU)

Nestled in the vibrant city of Jacksonville, Florida, the University of North Florida (UNF) stands as a beacon of higher learning, while Western Carolina University (WCU) thrives in the picturesque town of Cullowhee, North Carolina. Both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities for students to pursue their academic aspirations, but they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. UNF boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. WCU, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, student body demographics, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your educational journey.

	University of North Florida	Western Carolina University
Overview
Location	Jacksonville, Florida	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Large	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	79.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.5%	79.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1000 - 1210	1060 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 26	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	74.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	26.0%	43.0%
Total number of applicants	16,004	12,308
Total number of admissions given out	12,401	9,775
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,574	1,729
Yield rate	20.8%	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: $22,849 Out of state: $37,253	In state: $19,349 Out of state: $23,349
Average net price	$7,746	$13,082
Tuition	In state: $4,281 Out of state: $17,999	In state: $1,000 Out of state: $5,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,800 Meal plan: $4,368	Room/dormitory: $6,403 Meal plan: $5,029
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	83.0% Average amount $9,011	73.0% Average amount $5,772
Students receiving federal student loan	25.0% Average amount $4,522	56.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $10,181	9.0% Average amount $9,396

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,167 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	10,145 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	2,427 Men 27.7% Women 72.3%	1,732 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	6.8%	17.7%
International students	2.3%	1.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	3,504	3,815
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida Georgia New York New Jersey Virginia	North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Liberal Arts Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	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	67.1%	61.4%
Dropout rate	25.1%	10.2%
Transferred out	7.0%	27.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $157,001 Year 2: $126,504 Year 3: $126,204 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,203 Year 2: $65,557 Year 3: $74,548 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,518 Year 2: $66,897 Year 3: $73,024 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,614 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $72,538 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $65,441 Year 3: $71,319 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,435 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $69,352 American Sign Language (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $64,122 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,057 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $63,493 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,256 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $61,746 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,266 Year 2: $58,057 Year 3: $60,411	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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