- Acceptance rate: 82% for fall 2024
- Average high school GPA: 3.43, as reported by the college for 2024–25
- SAT, middle 50%: 560–660 reading and writing, 520–610 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 19–25 composite
- Average net price: $12,252 a year (2022–23)
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How does your GPA compare?
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Where you standEnter your GPA
Type your GPA to compare it with what Western Carolina University reported: an average GPA of 3.43 (2024–25), an acceptance rate of 82% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 19–25.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Western Carolina University reviews each application.
Western Carolina University average GPA
Western Carolina University reported an average high school GPA of 3.43 for its first-year students, in its 2024–25 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.
How their high school GPAs were spread:
| High school GPA | Share of first-year students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | |
| 3.75–3.99 | |
| 3.50–3.74 | |
| 3.25–3.49 | |
| 3.00–3.24 | |
| 2.50–2.99 |
An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so these figures can't be compared directly with your own GPA.
Western Carolina University acceptance rate
Western Carolina University admitted 16,154 of 19,742 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 82%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Western Carolina University is a public 4-year university in Cullowhee, North Carolina, with 10,112 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Western Carolina University in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 560 | 610 | 660 |
| SAT Math | 520 | 570 | 610 |
| ACT Composite | 19 | 23 | 25 |
| ACT English | 18 | 21 | 25 |
| ACT Math | 17 | 21 | 25 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1157 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Western Carolina University looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Required |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Considered if submitted |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Considered if submitted |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Not considered |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Not considered |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Western Carolina University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It also awards credit for life experience, such as work or military service.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $12,252 a year at Western Carolina University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Is Western Carolina University hard to get into?
Not for most prepared students: at least 3 in 4 applicants got in. Western Carolina University admitted 82% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Is Western Carolina University test optional?
Check Western Carolina University's admissions website for the current rule: testing policies change from year to year. Western Carolina University was test optional: it considered SAT or ACT scores if you sent them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education (fall 2024). Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 5% sent SAT scores and 19% sent ACT scores.
What share of Western Carolina University students had a 3.5 GPA or higher?
48% of Western Carolina University's first-year students who submitted a high school GPA had 3.50 or higher, and the largest group (22%) had 3.75–3.99, as the college reported in its 2024–25 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether these GPAs are weighted or unweighted.
Is there a minimum GPA for Western Carolina University?
Western Carolina University doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.43, as reported by the college in its 2024–25 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.
How many applicants get into Western Carolina University?
Western Carolina University's acceptance rate was 82% for fall 2024: it admitted 16,154 of 19,742 first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education.
How important is GPA for getting into Western Carolina University?
A lot: Western Carolina University requires high school GPA, high school record, high school class rank and college preparatory program. It considers recommendations, essay or personal statement, test scores and work experience if you send them. It doesn't consider other tests, demonstration of competencies and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Is a 3.0 GPA good enough for Western Carolina University?
It would be on the low side there: 17% of Western Carolina University's first-year students who submitted a GPA had one below 3.0, as the college reported in its 2024–25 Common Data Set, and it admitted 82% of applicants for fall 2024. Colleges calculate GPA in different ways, so compare on the same scale and look at your courses and test scores too.
What SAT and ACT scores do Western Carolina University students have?
The middle 50% of Western Carolina University's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 560–660 in reading and writing and 520–610 in math; ACT composite 19–25, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
Can you get college credit for AP scores at Western Carolina University?
Yes. Western Carolina University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
What is the average net price at Western Carolina University?
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $12,252 a year at Western Carolina University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Before you apply, check Western Carolina University's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Western Carolina UniversityU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- Western Carolina University Common Data Set 2024–25Western Carolina University: average high school GPA of first-year students and how their GPAs were spread.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
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