ECU vs. WCU

Should I go to East Carolina University or Western Carolina University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ECU 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.
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East Carolina University vs. Western Carolina University comparison
East Carolina University Western Carolina University College 3 College 4
East Carolina University Western Carolina University
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Overview

 ECU WCU
Location Greenville, NC Cullowhee, NC
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 26,785 11,628
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #587 #742
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu wcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ECU WCU
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $1,000
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $5,000
Room & Board $11,000 $11,764
Avg Net Price $14,470 $12,252
Avg Grant Aid $8,836 $5,442
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 99%

Admission

 ECU WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,289 18,183
Admitted 20,073 15,758
Acceptance Rate 90.1% 86.7%
Enrolled % 19.6% 13.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.44
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1200 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

 ECU WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 ECU WCU
Graduation Rate 59% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $39,100
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $22,010
Median Loan Payment $256 $227

Diversity

 ECU WCU
% Men 6% 4%
% Women 14% 10%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 79%
% Black 16% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 6%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 ECU WCU
% In-State 82% 78%
% Out-of-State 17% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • East Carolina University is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (26,785 students vs. 11,628 students)

ECU vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECU or WCU?

  • East Carolina University is 345.2% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($4,452.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 314.6% higher at ECU than Western Carolina University ($20,729.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than ECU ($12,252 vs. $14,470)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Carolina University are 6.9% lower than costs at Western Carolina University ($11,000 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than East Carolina University (99% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by East Carolina University students is 62.4% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($8,836 vs. $5,442)

ECU vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at East Carolina University (1053) is 21 points higher than at WCU (1032)
  • Incoming ECU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at WCU (22)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.44) than students at ECU (3.33)
  • ECU has a higher acceptance rate (90.1%) than WCU (86.7%)

ECU vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU 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 ECU.

  • The graduation rate at ECU is higher than Western Carolina University (59% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from East Carolina University earn on average $4,800 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($43,900 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $2,778 lower median federal student loan debt than ECU graduates. ($22,010 vs. $24,788)
  • WCU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than ECU graduates. ($227 vs. $256)
  • More ECU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 58%)

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