by our College Data Analytics TeamGet the facts about Western Carolina University Graduate School. Learn how it ranks, what graduate degree programs it offers, how diverse it is, and much more. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
College Factual began producing its annual Best Quality Schools rankings as a means to assist students in finding top-quality graduate colleges and universities that are invested in preparing their students for their future endeavors.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
Western Carolina University came in at #630 out of the 4,630 colleges and universities that were ranked in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in North Carolina, Western came in at #12.
Of the 4,630 institutions of higher learning that were examined in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, Western came in at #630.Western also ranked #12 for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in North Carolina.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingOut of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, Western came in at #630. Western also ranked #12 for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina.
Western ranked #630 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. Western also ranked #12 for Best Graduate Schools in North Carolina.
Western Carolina University was the school of choice for 1,574 graduate students in the last year for which we have data.In order to come up with a feel for how diverse the school is, College Factual analyzed the demographics of these students.Our findings are below.
Athough the male-female ratio may vary depending on the degree program, 69.1% of the total graduate students at Western are women and 30.9% are men.
About 20.3% of the graduate students who attend Western are from a racial-ethnic minority group*.Americans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the graduate programs at Western. Around 2.4% of graduate students are international.The following chart shows the distribution of racial-ethnic groups at the school. If you click on it, you’ll find more detailed information.
The average tuition and fees for full-time graduate students is not available due to a lack of data.
The typical graduate student at Western who borrowed carries a median debt of $24,235.
The average early-career salary for master’s degree recipients from Western is $71,736.
Graduate students who earn their doctoral degree at Western enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $77,275.
Early-career pay varies by field of study. The following table shows the graduate fields of study at Western with the highest average early-career salaries for recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing | $120,469 |
| Construction Engineering | $87,408 |
| Business Administration & Management | $81,402 |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities. | $79,115 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | $77,275 |
| Human Resource Management | $73,132 |
| Accounting | $70,581 |
| Educational Administration | $68,759 |
| Public Administration | $61,074 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | $57,280 |
Western Carolina University is a public institution situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina.The charming, small-town atmosphere of Cullowhee draws many to the area. Get more details about the location of Western Carolina University.
Contact details for Western are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Highway 107, Cullowhee, NC 28723-9646 |
| Phone: | 828-227-7100 |
| Website: | www.wcu.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/WesternCarolinaUniversity |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/WCU |
Around 63.6% of Western graduate students took at least one course online.Approximately 40.0% of grad students took all their classes online during that same time period.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 15 | $70,581 |
| Allied Health Professions | 10 | — |
| Business Administration & Management | 51 | $81,402 |
| Chemistry | 5 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 6 | — |
| Communication Sciences | 27 | $54,776 |
| Construction Engineering | 25 | — |
| Educational Administration | 35 | $68,759 |
| General Biology | 12 | — |
| General Education | 40 | $54,820 |
| General Engineering Technology | 9 | — |
| General English Literature | 4 | — |
| General Psychology | 14 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 31 | — |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 21 | $57,280 |
| History | 6 | — |
| Human Resource Management | 50 | $73,132 |
| Industrial Production Technology | 1 | — |
| Marketing | 12 | — |
| Nursing | 35 | $120,469 |
| Outdoor Education | 12 | — |
| Public Administration | 18 | $61,074 |
| Social Work | 65 | $56,936 |
| Student Counseling | 43 | $54,018 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 28 | — |
As with the master’s degree programs, only the programs that awarded doctorate degrees are shown here.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 16 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Western Carolina University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 49 | — |
| General English Literature | 2 | — |
| Statistics | 3 | — |
Only the programs in which a professional degree was awarded are shown here.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 3 | — |
| Nursing | 17 | — |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 47 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.