by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you want to know more about Western Carolina University, such as what majors does it offer, how diverse it is, how well it ranks, and more, this is your one-stop resource.
Western Carolina University awards degrees and credentials ranging from bachelor’s degrees up to its highest offering, the doctor’s degree - research/scholarship and professional practice.
| Degree Level | Offered |
|---|---|
| Certificate | — |
| Associate | — |
| Bachelor’s | ✓ |
| Master’s | ✓ |
| Doctorate | ✓ |
Completions: 5,452 undergraduate · 1,424 graduate (6,876 total)
The most popular majors at Western Carolina University, measured by the number of graduates, are listed below.
| Most Popular Majors | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 3,438 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | 370 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | 318 |
| Psychology, General. | 177 |
| Marketing. | 170 |
These majors at Western Carolina University report the highest average early-career salaries for their graduates.
| Highest-Paying Majors | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | $65,703 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $62,892 |
| Engineering, General. | $62,214 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician. | $57,202 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. | $57,197 |
The majors at Western Carolina University are organized below by area of study, with graduates, average salary, and specializations for each.
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 3,438 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. ↳ Business Administration and Management, General. · Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other. |
370 | $38,852 |
| Marketing. ↳ Marketing/Marketing Management, General. · Marketing, Other. |
170 | $33,207 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. ↳ Finance, General. |
78 | $38,206 |
| Human Resources Management and Services. ↳ Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. |
50 | $55,207 |
| Accounting and Related Services. ↳ Accounting. |
48 | $42,152 |
| Management Information Systems and Services. ↳ Management Information Systems, General. |
35 | $36,319 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management. ↳ Hospitality Administration/Management, General. |
16 | $28,940 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations. ↳ Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies. |
9 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. ↳ Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. · Nursing Practice. |
318 | $62,892 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | 121 | NA |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. ↳ Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). · Athletic Training/Trainer. |
104 | $47,032 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions. ↳ Physical Therapy/Therapist. · Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy. |
66 | $28,948 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services. ↳ Communication Sciences and Disorders, General. |
54 | $47,954 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. ↳ Health/Health Care Administration/Management. |
21 | $43,009 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services. ↳ Dietetics/Dietitian. |
14 | NA |
| Public Health. ↳ Environmental Health. |
11 | $37,148 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. ↳ Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching. · Elementary Education and Teaching. · Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. · Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching. |
155 | $34,526 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. ↳ Music Teacher Education. · Physical Education Teaching and Coaching. · English/Language Arts Teacher Education. · Art Teacher Education. · Social Studies Teacher Education. · Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education. · Mathematics Teacher Education. |
55 | $35,337 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision. ↳ Educational Leadership and Administration, General. · Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision. |
51 | $55,835 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services. ↳ College Student Counseling and Personnel Services. · Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. |
43 | $39,817 |
| Education, General. | 40 | $40,933 |
| Special Education and Teaching. ↳ Special Education and Teaching, General. |
13 | $35,480 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Public Administration. | 130 | $53,824 |
| Social Work. | 116 | $35,993 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 177 | $23,472 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. ↳ School Psychology. · Clinical Psychology. |
9 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. ↳ Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. |
158 | $35,154 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Music. ↳ Music Performance, General. · Music, General. |
46 | $23,792 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. ↳ Fine/Studio Arts, General. · Art/Art Studies, General. |
44 | $24,466 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. ↳ Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General. |
31 | $23,232 |
| Design and Applied Arts. ↳ Interior Design. |
22 | $30,187 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician. | 78 | $57,202 |
| ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS. ↳ Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians. |
51 | $57,173 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians. ↳ Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician. |
10 | $57,197 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. ↳ Industrial Technology/Technician. |
1 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. ↳ Sport and Fitness Administration/Management. |
67 | $32,747 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management. ↳ Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General. |
31 | $23,864 |
| Outdoor Education. | 12 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology. ↳ Anthropology, General. |
40 | $20,834 |
| Political Science and Government. ↳ Political Science and Government, General. |
27 | $25,090 |
| Sociology. ↳ Sociology, General. |
27 | $22,479 |
| Economics. ↳ Applied Economics. |
4 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry. ↳ Forensic Chemistry. · Chemistry, General. |
79 | $34,571 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences. ↳ Geology/Earth Science, General. |
11 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. ↳ Biology/Biological Sciences, General. |
86 | $24,606 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Communication, General. ↳ Speech Communication and Rhetoric. |
48 | $24,661 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. ↳ Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other. |
17 | $19,961 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering, General. | 37 | $62,214 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. ↳ Electrical and Electronics Engineering. |
16 | $65,703 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | 48 | $30,162 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. ↳ Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General. |
27 | $33,891 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research. ↳ Environmental Science. |
16 | $22,768 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| History. ↳ History, General. |
41 | $24,437 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 23 | $54,769 |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics. ↳ Mathematics, General. |
17 | NA |
| Statistics. ↳ Mathematics and Statistics. |
3 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. ↳ Spanish Language and Literature. |
14 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| International/Globalization Studies. | 12 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy. | 11 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. ↳ Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. |
8 | NA |
| Major | Graduates | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies. ↳ American Indian/Native American Studies. |
1 | NA |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.