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Western Carolina University Acceptance Rate
Western Carolina University has an overall acceptance rate of 81.8% for the application year 2024, with 19,728 applicants and 16,138 accepted. The Regular Decision (RD) acceptance rate matches the overall at 81.8%, while Early Action (EA) stats are not available. Transfer students have a strong acceptance rate of 71.7%, with 2,766 applicants and 1,984 accepted. SAT scores for admitted students ranged from a 25th percentile of 1075 to a 75th percentile of 1260, and the average GPA is 3.43. Historically, acceptance rates have decreased from 84.9% in 2022 to the current rate, while transfer acceptance rates slightly improved from 71.1% in 2023.
Overall Acceptance Rate
Total Applicants: 19,728
Accepted Applicants: 16,138
Regular Decision vs Early Action Acceptance Rates
Historical Acceptance Rates
Western Carolina University has seen a significant improvement in its overall acceptance rates in recent years. For the application year 2024, the acceptance rate stands at 81.8%, with 16,138 of 19,728 applicants accepted. This marks a slight decline from 83.3% in 2023 and 84.9% in 2022, but reflects a notable increase from just 42.9% in 2019. The transition from 48.4% in 2020 and 74.3% in 2021 demonstrates a substantial upward trend, highlighting the growing accessibility of the university over the past few years.
Wait List Acceptance Rate
Western Carolina University's wait list acceptance rate for the Class of 2026 has seen a notable acceptance rate of 14.3%, with 80 out of 560 applicants gaining admission from the wait list in 2022. Unfortunately, data for the years 2021, 2023, and 2024 are unavailable, limiting the ability to establish a comprehensive historical trend. The lack of detailed wait list data for several recent years suggests fluctuating dynamics in admission practices which may impact future applicant strategies.
Transfer Acceptance Rate
Western Carolina University's transfer acceptance rate for the application year 2024 is 71.7%, with 1,984 students accepted out of 2,766 applicants. This marks a slight increase from 71.1% in the previous year (2023) when 1,952 transfers were admitted from 2,747 applicants. Historically, acceptance rates have been relatively high, with rates of 75.6% in 2022 and 73.6% in 2021, indicating a strong trend towards accommodating transfer students. The average GPA of accepted applicants stands at 3.43, reflecting the university's demand for reasonably competitive academic performance among transfer candidates.
Transfer Acceptance Rate
Total Applicants: 2,766
Accepted Applicants: 1,984
Domestic vs International Acceptance Rates
Scores
GPA
3.43
SAT
1075-1260
Math: 520-610
Reading: 560-610
ACT
19-25
Math: 17-25
English: 18-25
Reading: 20-29
Science: 20-23
Acceptances by Race
| Race | Applicants |
|---|---|
| Asian American | 1.3% |
| White | 75% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.8% |
| Black/African American | 6.6% |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1% |
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