WCU vs. UofSC vs. UNC Charlotte

Should I go to Western Carolina University or University of South Carolina Columbia? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WCU or UofSC 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. 

Clemson UNC Chapel Hill Georgia NC State UNCW CofC ECU UNCG Virginia Tech ASU Auburn Florida State
Western Carolina University vs. University of South Carolina Columbia vs. University of North Carolina at Charlotte comparison
Western Carolina University University of South Carolina Columbia University of North Carolina at Charlotte College 4
Western Carolina University University of South Carolina Columbia University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Remove Remove Remove +Add

Overview

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
Location Cullowhee, NC Columbia, SC Charlotte, NC
Setting Distant Town Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 11,628 36,579 30,298
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #742 #210 #547
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcu.edu sc.edu uncc.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
Tuition (In State) $1,000 $12,288 $3,812
Tuition (Out of State) $5,000 $34,534 $18,474
Room & Board $11,764 $12,558 $13,864
Avg Net Price $12,252 $26,068 $13,768
Avg Grant Aid $5,442 $6,762 $8,150
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 91% 58%

Admission

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
Applied 18,183 46,682 22,699
Admitted 15,758 28,706 18,208
Acceptance Rate 86.7% 61.5% 80.2%
Enrolled % 13.3% 25.5% 24.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.44 3.69 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 26/32 21/27
SAT Range 1050/1260 1180/1380 1110/1320
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 Mar 1, 2026 Dec 1, 2025 Jun 1, 2026

Academics

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
Graduation Rate 50% 70% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $51,700 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 69% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,010 $23,250 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $227 $240 $237

Diversity

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
% Men 4% 8% 8%
% Women 10% 14% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Low High
HBCU No No No
% White 79% 77% 60%
% Black 6% 10% 17%
% Hispanic 6% 4% 9%
% Native American 1% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4% 4%
% International 1% 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1% 3%

Students

 WCU UofSC UNC Charlotte
% In-State 78% 54% 90%
% Out-of-State 19% 45% 8%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Carolina Columbia is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (36,579 students vs. 11,628 students)

WCU vs. UofSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or UofSC?

  • University of South Carolina Columbia is 1,128.8% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($12,288.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 590.7% higher at UofSC than Western Carolina University ($34,534.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than UofSC ($12,252 vs. $26,068)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Carolina University are 6.7% lower than costs at University of South Carolina Columbia ($11,764 vs. $12,558)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than University of South Carolina Columbia (99% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Columbia students is 24.3% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($6,762 vs. $5,442)

WCU vs. UofSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Columbia (1220) is 188 points higher than at WCU (1032)
  • Incoming UofSC students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at WCU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UofSC students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at WCU (3.44)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (86.7%) than UofSC (61.5%)

WCU vs. UofSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU or UofSC? 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 UofSC and WCU.

  • The graduation rate at UofSC is higher than Western Carolina University (70% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from University of South Carolina Columbia earn on average $12,600 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($51,700 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $1,240 lower median federal student loan debt than UofSC graduates. ($22,010 vs. $23,250)
  • WCU graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than UofSC graduates. ($227 vs. $240)
  • More UofSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 58%)

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