The 2025 tuition & fees of Western Carolina University is $4,630 for in-state and $8,630 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees has not risen since 2021.
Its tuition & fees is much lower than the average tuition for Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' tuition of $30,771 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at Western Carolina is $4,730 for North Carolina residents and $8,729 for out-of-state students, a 1.1% increase compared to 2025's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $4,532 | $8,532 | $30,055 |
| 2024-2025 | $4,630 | $8,630 | $30,771 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 2.16% | 1.15% | 2.38% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $4,730 | $8,729 | $31,504 |
The living costs at Western Carolina is $15,735 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 4.25% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 3.72%.
The Western Carolina's 2025 COA is $21,165 for in-state and $25,165 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $21,665 for in-state and $25,665 for out-of-state students.
65% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $6,267. It could cover 72.62% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $14,898 for in-state and $18,898 for out-of-state students..
| On-Campus | Off-Campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $4,630 | $8,630 | $4,630 | $8,630 |
| Room & Board | $12,354 | $12,854 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $3,381 | $3,381 | ||
| Books & Supplies | $800 | $800 | ||
| COA | $21,165 | $25,165 | $21,665 | $25,665 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $14,898 | $18,898 | $15,398 | $19,398 |
Western Carolina's 4-years tuition is $18,766 for in-state and $34,766 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
Since the tuition & fees at Western Carolina University have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $4,655 | $4,679 | $4,704 | $4,729 | $18,766 |
| Out-of-State | $8,655 | $8,679 | $8,704 | $8,728 | $34,766 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $4,679 | $4,704 | $4,729 | $4,754 | $18,866 |
| Out-of-State | $8,679 | $8,704 | $8,728 | $8,753 | $34,864 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $4,704 | $4,729 | $4,754 | $4,779 | $18,965 |
| Out-of-State | $8,704 | $8,728 | $8,753 | $8,778 | $34,963 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $4,729 | $4,754 | $4,779 | $4,804 | $19,066 |
| Out-of-State | $8,728 | $8,753 | $8,778 | $8,803 | $35,063 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $4,754 | $4,779 | $4,804 | $4,830 | $19,167 |
| Out-of-State | $8,753 | $8,778 | $8,803 | $8,828 | $35,162 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $86,802 for North Carolina residents and $102,801 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $21,377 | $21,591 | $21,779 | $21,969 | $86,802 |
| Out-of-State | $25,377 | $25,591 | $25,807 | $26,027 | $102,801 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $21,591 | $21,808 | $21,998 | $22,190 | $87,675 |
| Out-of-State | $25,591 | $25,807 | $26,027 | $26,249 | $103,674 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $21,808 | $22,027 | $22,219 | $22,413 | $88,559 |
| Out-of-State | $25,807 | $26,027 | $26,249 | $26,474 | $104,557 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $22,027 | $22,250 | $22,443 | $22,639 | $89,454 |
| Out-of-State | $26,027 | $26,249 | $26,474 | $26,702 | $105,451 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $22,250 | $22,475 | $22,670 | $22,868 | $90,361 |
| Out-of-State | $26,249 | $26,474 | $26,702 | $26,932 | $106,357 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $61,734 for North Carolina residents and $77,733 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $15,110 | $15,324 | $15,512 | $15,702 | $61,734 |
| Out-of-State | $19,110 | $19,324 | $19,540 | $19,760 | $77,733 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $15,324 | $15,541 | $15,731 | $15,923 | $62,607 |
| Out-of-State | $19,324 | $19,540 | $19,760 | $19,982 | $78,606 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $15,541 | $15,760 | $15,952 | $16,146 | $63,491 |
| Out-of-State | $19,540 | $19,760 | $19,982 | $20,207 | $79,489 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $15,760 | $15,983 | $16,176 | $16,372 | $64,386 |
| Out-of-State | $19,760 | $19,982 | $20,207 | $20,435 | $80,383 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $15,983 | $16,208 | $16,403 | $16,601 | $65,293 |
| Out-of-State | $19,982 | $20,207 | $20,435 | $20,665 | $81,289 |
The graduate school tuition at Western Carolina University is $7,876 for in-state and $18,595 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at Western Carolina graduate program page.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $7,778 | $18,497 |
| 2024-2025 | $7,876 | $18,595 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 1.26% | 0.53% |
| 2025-2026 | $7,975 | $18,694 |
For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at Western Carolina is $184 for North Carolina residents and $339 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $443 for North Carolina residents and $1,214 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2023-2024 | $184 | $340 |
| 2024-2025 | $184 | $339 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $184 | $338 | |
| Graduate | 2023-2024 | $442 | $1,260 |
| 2024-2025 | $443 | $1,214 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $444 | $1,170 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at Western Carolina. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between Western Carolina University and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina University | $4,630 | $8,630 |
| Wofford College | $56,005 | |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $7,661 | $24,012 |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | $10,448 | $18,512 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $12,570 | $38,508 |
| Mercer University | $31,565 | |
In-State (North Carolina Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $86,802, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $4,729 per year, which would total around $18,766 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $102,801. The tuition and fees are around $8,728 per year, totaling about $34,766 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at Western Carolina is much lower than the average for similar schools ($10,456 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at Western Carolina is much lower than the average for similar schools ($19,644 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The in-state graduate tuition at Western Carolina is lower than the average for similar schools ($10,983 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at Western Carolina is about the same as the average for similar schools ($18,377 - public Doctoral / Research University).
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