How much money do Western Carolina University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $31,300 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $39,100 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for WCU graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing with a median starting salary of $56,100 followed by Engineering Technology paying $53,400 and Construction Engineering Technologies graduates who have a median starting income of $51,500 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $98,800 followed by Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) at $65,000 and Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degree) who earn $60,100 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Western Carolina University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) | $98,800 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) | $65,000 |
| Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degree) | $60,100 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,100 |
| Engineering Technology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,400 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $53,200 |
| Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $51,500 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,600 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $50,200 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $50,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $49,600 |
| Public Administration (Bachelor’s Degree) | $48,300 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,800 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degree) | $44,400 |
| Social Work (Master's Degree) | $43,100 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $42,900 |
| Education (Master's Degree) | $39,400 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,200 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,000 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,200 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,300 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,700 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $35,500 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,400 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,200 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,000 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,300 |
| Natural Resources Management and Policy (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,100 |
| Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,600 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,400 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,800 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,500 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,400 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,500 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,500 |
| Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,500 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,700 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,200 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,900 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,600 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $21,700 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,600 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,300 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $19,700 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=200004 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Western Carolina University.