Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $16,328 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $8K less than the national median. The 81% who received grants paid $13,767 on average; the other 19% paid the full sticker price of $20,319 in-state / $24,319 out-of-state.
- Full price, in-state
- $20,319 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
- Merit aid
- 21% · avg $3K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $17K · 21% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $9K a year |
| $30–48K | $10K a year |
| $48–75K | $13K a year |
| $75–110K | $17K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
- Divorced or separated parents: colleges with their own formula usually ask for both parents' finances.
$16,328
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
81% got grants averaging $5,993; 19% got none.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Sticker price by residency
| Rate | Tuition & fees | First-years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | $4,532 | $20,319 | 78% |
| Out-of-state | $8,532 | $24,319 | 22% |
Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($15,787) to tuition and fees.
$21.9K
≈ $232/month for 10 years
1.3 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
44% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full11%
- Paying it down24%
- Payments paused33%
- Not paying it down21%
- Behind or in default10%
- Forgiven or discharged1%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
LimitedGrants cover 23% of the $21,199 full price on average across all first-years (limited), more than at 11% of colleges. Most students here pay close to the sticker price.
$4,871 in grants per first-year ÷ $21,199 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (2,082), 2023–24
About 1 in 5 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $20,319 in-state / $24,319 out-of-state.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.
Aid by family income isn't reported.
From Western Carolina University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2023–24.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 63%1,317 students | 59%4,833 students |
| Need met, on average | 64% | 65% |
| Need fully met | 5% | – |
| Average aid package | $10,211 | $10,018 |
| Average need-based grant | $7,329 | $6,736 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,740 | $4,215 |
| Merit aid without need | 21%average $2,995 | 10%average $3,101 |
| Athletic scholarships | 19average $2,995 | – |
50% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2025 entrants.
Priority date: March 1
Dates for fall 2025 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | not marked | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | not marked |
| Music or drama | ✓ | not marked |
| State or district residency | not marked | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
International students
Need-based and merit aid offered.
International applicants file: Certificate of Finances.
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Western Carolina University Common Data Set 2024–25, 2025–26;Western Carolina University Common Data Set 2024–25, 2023–24;Western Carolina University Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2025 entrants;Western Carolina University Common Data Set 2024–25, 2024–25;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)