Introduction and Overview

Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. It is one of the 17 campuses of the University of North Carolina system, offering more than 115 undergraduate majors and more than 40 graduate programs in engineering, science, healthcare, education, humanities, business and art.

History and Founding Time

The school was founded in August 1889. It was originally a semi-public middle school. In 1891, it was promoted to Cullowhee High School. In 1893, it became the first public normal school in North Carolina. Later, it gradually developed into a college, a four-year educational institution, etc. In 1953, it was renamed "Western Carolina Normal College". In 1967, it was designated as a regional university and used its current name. On July 1, 1972, it became one of the campuses of the University of North Carolina system.

School Strength

Faculty: 548 full-time and 228 part-time academic staff, including national award-winning authors, nationally and internationally recognized experts, and Emmy, O. Henry and National Endowment award winners.

Academic Achievements: Remarkable achievements have been made in many fields, including the country's top-notch project management and entrepreneurship management majors, the national award-winning teacher education majors, the exemplary criminal justice majors certified by the University of North Carolina System, and the first four-year emergency medical care majors certified in the country.

Teaching Resources: It has modern teaching facilities such as laboratories, libraries, and art performance centers, providing students with a good learning and practice environment.

Institutional Nature

A public university that mainly serves students and communities in western North Carolina, providing high-quality education and training to meet local talent needs.

Educational philosophy

Focus on high-quality teaching and cultivating responsible citizens, emphasize practical teaching and applying what you learn, and are committed to providing students with knowledge and skills closely related to actual work to help students achieve their career goals. At the same time, it also focuses on cultivating students' comprehensive qualities, such as communication skills and teamwork skills, to adapt to the ever-changing workplace environment.

Key laboratories and disciplines

Key disciplines: including but not limited to project management and entrepreneurship management, teacher education, criminal justice, emergency medical care and other majors. In addition, disciplines such as earth science and natural resources, political science and public affairs, drama and film, art and design also have certain advantages and characteristics.

Key laboratories: No clear public information has been found to show its specific key laboratories, but the school is equipped with corresponding professional laboratories and practical facilities for teaching and research in the fields of health sciences, engineering technology, etc.

Faculty

It consists of five undergraduate colleges, Kimmel School, Honors College and Graduate School, including the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Fine Arts and Performing Arts, the College of Construction Management and Science and Technology, etc. Each college has multiple departments and majors.

Ranking

The exact ranking of the school was not found in the 2025 U.S. News ranking, but the school has performed well in certain professional fields and specific selections, such as being selected as the top adventure university in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions by Outdoor Magazine in 2014, and being rated as one of the most environmentally responsible universities by Princeton Review for many consecutive years.

Cost

The tuition fee for the academic year is about $17,698, the room and board fee is about $8,030, the personal expenses are about $900-$1,200 per year, and the medical insurance is about $1,418 per year, totaling about $26,908. If the English scores of international students do not meet certain standards, they need to take an intensive English course first, and the cost is calculated separately.

Campus environment

Campus facilities: The main campus covers an area of ​​589 acres, with 13 residential buildings, a full-service dining center, health care services, counseling services, bookstores, libraries, two indoor swimming pools, tennis courts, cinemas, jogging tracks, and a full-service free gym. In addition, there are landmark buildings such as the Alumni Tower.

Natural environment: It is adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, only half an hour's drive away, and has a natural landscape surrounded by forests. The natural environment is excellent, the ecology and species are rich, the local climate is pleasant, the four seasons are distinct, and the winter and summer climates are much milder than other areas.

Campus culture: The campus atmosphere is friendly, focusing on the comprehensive development of students and community participation, and often organizes various club activities, volunteer activities, cultural exchange activities, etc.