WCU vs. Wright State

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

 WCU Wright State
Location Cullowhee, NC Dayton, OH
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 11,628 9,884
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #742 #795
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcu.edu wright.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WCU Wright State
Tuition (In State) $1,000 $11,138
Tuition (Out of State) $5,000 $20,556
Room & Board $11,764 $10,900
Avg Net Price $12,252 $15,400
Avg Grant Aid $5,442 $7,890
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 90%

Admission

 WCU Wright State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,183 8,894
Admitted 15,758 8,463
Acceptance Rate 86.7% 95.2%Open
Enrolled % 13.3% 17.3%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.44 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 17/25
SAT Range 1050/1260 913/1230
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 Aug 23, 2026

Academics

 WCU Wright State
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (29%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

 WCU Wright State
Graduation Rate 50% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $43,400
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,010 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $258

Diversity

 WCU Wright State
% Men 4% 14%
% Women 10% 16%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 72%
% Black 6% 12%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 WCU Wright State
% In-State 78% 95%
% Out-of-State 19% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Carolina University is larger than than Wright State based on total student enrollment (11,628 students vs. 9,884 students)

WCU vs. Wright State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or Wright State?

  • Wright State University Main Campus is 1,013.8% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($11,138.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 311.1% higher at Wright State than Western Carolina University ($20,556.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than Wright State ($12,252 vs. $15,400)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wright State University Main Campus are 7.9% lower than costs at Western Carolina University ($10,900 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than Wright State University Main Campus (99% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wright State University Main Campus students is 45% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($7,890 vs. $5,442)

WCU vs. Wright State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wright State University Main Campus (1034) is 2 points higher than at WCU (1032)
  • Incoming WCU students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Wright State (22)
  • Accepted freshman WCU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.44) than students at Wright State (3.41)
  • Wright State has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than WCU (86.7%)

WCU vs. Wright State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU or Wright State? 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 Wright State and WCU.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Wright State University Main Campus (50% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Wright State University Main Campus earn on average $4,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($43,400 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $2,990 lower median federal student loan debt than Wright State graduates. ($22,010 vs. $25,000)
  • WCU graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Wright State graduates. ($227 vs. $258)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wright State students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 51%)

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