# Western Carolina University: Nursing (bachelor's)

Cullowhee, NC. IPEDS 200004, CIP 51.38. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-carolina-university/majors/nursing

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $68,774
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $79,533 (U.S. median for this major: $85,212 across 858 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,163 (U.S. median $27,000)
- Rank in NC: 14 of 25 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the NC median for this major (25 colleges, $79,586): -$53
- Versus the U.S. median: -$5,679

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.34 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $79,533 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $8,816 | $38,261 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $10,012 | $43,452 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $12,605 | $54,706 | 1.2 years |
| 75-110k | $17,060 | $74,040 | 1.6 years |
| 110k+ | $17,992 | $78,085 | 1.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Nursing at NC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mount Olive | $93,698 | $27,094 | $18,853 | 52% |
| North Carolina Central University | $90,760 | $40,000 | $15,359 | 42% |
| Fayetteville State University | $88,701 | $22,052 | $7,892 | 39% |
| Duke University | $87,763 | $29,000 | $29,612 | 97% |
| Lees-McRae College | $87,523 | $23,125 | $28,340 | 42% |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | $86,606 | $22,000 | $20,109 | 71% |
| Winston-Salem State University | $84,952 | $24,082 | $13,479 | 47% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $84,723 | $25,044 | $15,435 | 69% |
| Methodist University | $83,653 | $27,000 | $24,704 | 44% |
| East Carolina University | $82,250 | $25,264 | $15,739 | 63% |
| North Carolina A & T State University | $81,704 | $28,353 | $10,846 | 57% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $80,383 | $24,701 | $10,965 | 56% |
| Queens University of Charlotte | $79,586 | $31,757 | $30,857 | 61% |
| Western Carolina University | $79,533 | $23,163 | $13,315 | 60% |
| Campbell University | $79,506 | $26,000 | $24,516 | 61% |
| Barton College | $79,283 | $27,761 | $23,626 | 46% |
| Appalachian State University | $78,943 | $20,000 | $16,836 | 75% |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | $78,839 | $26,300 | $20,689 | 48% |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $78,674 | $29,710 | $10,260 | 44% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $78,585 | $23,026 | $11,655 | 91% |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | $78,143 | $26,186 | $17,618 | 71% |
| Gardner-Webb University | $75,117 | $24,922 | $17,674 | 55% |
| Pfeiffer University | $75,033 | not reported | $19,076 | 35% |
| Mars Hill University | $74,707 | $24,636 | $19,910 | 45% |
| Wingate University | $68,636 | $27,000 | $20,748 | 46% |

## Careers
- Registered nurse (SOC 29-1140): median wage not reported metro, $84,350 NC, $97,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.6% by 2035
- Medical and Health Services Managers (SOC 11-9111): median wage not reported metro, $114,410 NC, $123,860 U.S.; U.S. jobs 24.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).