More selective than 55% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $56,966. College Scorecard.
Higher than 23% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 9% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 6% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Warren Wilson College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 943 applicants, Warren Wilson College admitted 732 and 196 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Warren Wilson College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Warren Wilson College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Warren Wilson College took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,566 | $59,826 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $17,514 | $77,237 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $21,046 | $92,813 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $25,834 | $113,928 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $27,982 | $123,401 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (27% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($36,260) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $2,744 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Warren Wilson College majors, earnings & careers
Warren Wilson College offers 27 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Warren Wilson College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $43,793 | — |
Quick list of all 27 majors
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$43,793
- History—
- Human Services—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Music—
- Outdoor Education—
- Philosophy—
- Psychology—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Asheville
Overall prices in the Asheville, NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,866. Housing costs 7% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 53 inches of rain a year, 29 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Buncombe County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Buncombe County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Warren Wilson College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in North Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Wilson College | 71% | $21,249 | 42% | $36,260 | This school |
| Greensboro College | 70% | $17,882 | 46% | $46,566 | |
| Lees-McRae College | 77% | $28,340 | 42% | $43,415 | |
| Mars Hill University | 68% | $19,910 | 45% | $44,781 | |
| Montreat College | 69% | $27,061 | 50% | $45,151 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Warren Wilson College would cost you $3,367 more per year than Greensboro College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Warren Wilson College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$20,500).
- Warren Wilson College gives aided families $18,434 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Warren Wilson College | Greensboro College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $41,500 | $21,000 | +$20,500 |
| Books & supplies | $850 | $1,600 | −$750 |
| Housing & meals | $12,610 | $11,964 | +$646 |
| Personal & travel | $3,230 | $2,881 | +$349 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,224 | −$2,280 | +$1,056 |
| Sticker price | $56,966 | $35,165 | +$21,801 |
| Average grants | −$35,717 | −$17,283 | −$18,434 |
| You pay | $21,249 | $17,882 | +$3,367 |
“+” means Warren Wilson College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Warren Wilson College
What is the Warren Wilson College acceptance rate?
Warren Wilson College accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 732 of 943 applicants were admitted.
How much does Warren Wilson College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $56,966 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,249 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,566 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,982.
How much do Warren Wilson College graduates earn?
Former Warren Wilson College students earn a median $36,260 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Warren Wilson College graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year.
How long does a Warren Wilson College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Warren Wilson College costs about $92,813 after grants ($21,046 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $36,260 ten years after starting, $2,744 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Warren Wilson College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/warren-wilson-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).