John Jay vs. WCU

Should I go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice or Western Carolina University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if John Jay or WCU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

ECU ASU Lehman UNC Charlotte UNCW City College of New York University of North Carolina at Asheville ETSU St John's Queens College UNCG NC State
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice vs. Western Carolina University comparison
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Western Carolina University College 3 College 4
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Western Carolina University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 John Jay WCU
Location New York, NY Cullowhee, NC
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 13,510 11,628
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #556 #742
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu wcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 John Jay WCU
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $1,000
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $5,000
Room & Board $21,788 $11,764
Avg Net Price $4,141 $12,252
Avg Grant Aid $9,284 $5,442
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 99%

Admission

 John Jay WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,921 18,183
Admitted 10,255 15,758
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 86.7%
Enrolled % 19.8% 13.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.44
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26
SAT Range 1000/1250 1050/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 John Jay WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (54%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Legal Professions (5%)
  • Human Services (3%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 John Jay WCU
Graduation Rate 39% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $39,100
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,000 $22,010
Median Loan Payment $103 $227

Diversity

 John Jay WCU
% Men 4% 4%
% Women 9% 10%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 18% 79%
% Black 17% 6%
% Hispanic 48% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 John Jay WCU
% In-State 90% 78%
% Out-of-State 0% 19%

Campus

 John Jay WCU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (13,510 students vs. 11,628 students)

John Jay vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, John Jay or WCU?

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is 593% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($6,930.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 197.6% higher at John Jay than Western Carolina University ($14,880.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than WCU ($4,141 vs. $12,252)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Carolina University are 85.2% lower than costs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($11,764 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (99% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students is 70.6% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($9,284 vs. $5,442)

John Jay vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, John Jay or WCU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between WCU or John Jay .

  • The average SAT score at Western Carolina University (1032) is 57 points higher than at John Jay (975)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.44) than students at John Jay (3.24)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (86.7%) than John Jay (57.2%)

John Jay vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, John Jay or WCU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between WCU and John Jay.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (50% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice earn on average $8,800 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $39,100)
  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students graduate with a $12,010 lower median federal student loan debt than WCU graduates. ($10,000 vs. $22,010)
  • John Jay graduates are paying $124 less per month on federal student loans than WCU graduates. ($103 vs. $227)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former John Jay students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 52%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/