UNC Charlotte vs. WCU vs. Meredith

Should I go to University of North Carolina at Charlotte or Western Carolina University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNC Charlotte 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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University of North Carolina at Charlotte vs. Western Carolina University vs. Meredith College comparison
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Western Carolina University Meredith College College 4
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Western Carolina University Meredith College
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Overview

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
Location Charlotte, NC Cullowhee, NC Raleigh, NC
Setting Large City Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 29,551 11,635 1,587
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #562 #763 #396
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncc.edu wcu.edu meredith.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
Tuition (In State) $3,812 $1,000 $42,420
Tuition (Out of State) $17,936 $5,000 $42,420
Room & Board $12,896 $11,173 $12,544
Avg Net Price $13,951 $13,022 $23,259
Avg Grant Aid $7,907 $4,526 $29,825
% Receiving Grant Aid 60% 99% 100%

Admission

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,355 17,917 1,775
Admitted 17,007 15,201 1,299
Acceptance Rate 79.6% 84.8% 73.2%
Enrolled % 24.4% 12.7% 25.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.44 3.52
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/27 19/26 22/28
SAT Range 1070/1290 1020/1240 1140/1320
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jun 1, 2024 Mar 1, 2024 Feb 15, 2024

Academics

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
Graduation Rate 53% 50% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $39,100 $40,000
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 58% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $22,010 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $237 $227 $268

Diversity

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
% Men 49% 41% 2%
% Women 51% 59% 98%
Racial Diversity High Low Low
HBCU No No No
% White 60% 79% 71%
% Black 17% 6% 10%
% Hispanic 9% 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4% 4%
% International 2% 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1% 2%

Students

 UNC Charlotte WCU Meredith
% In-State 89% 80% 80%
% Out-of-State 8% 18% 13%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (29,551 students vs. 11,635 students)

UNC Charlotte vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNC Charlotte or WCU?

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is 281.2% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($3,812.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 258.7% higher at UNC Charlotte than Western Carolina University ($17,936.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than UNC Charlotte ($13,022 vs. $13,951)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Carolina University are 15.4% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($11,173 vs. $12,896)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (99% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of North Carolina at Charlotte students is 74.7% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($7,907 vs. $4,526)

UNC Charlotte vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1093) is 61 points higher than at WCU (1032)
  • Incoming UNC Charlotte students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at WCU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Charlotte students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at WCU (3.44)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (84.8%) than UNC Charlotte (79.6%)

UNC Charlotte vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNC Charlotte 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 UNC Charlotte.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Charlotte is higher than Western Carolina University (53% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn on average $9,500 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $990 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($22,010 vs. $23,000)
  • WCU graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($227 vs. $237)
  • More UNC Charlotte graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 58%)

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