Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University was founded in 1889 to bring higher education and career opportunities to the people of the western region of North Carolina. The 700-acre campus is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, near the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains, 52 miles west of Asheville. A member of the University of North Carolina system, WCU employs nearly 500 full-time faculty members, approximately 75 percent of whom hold doctoral or terminal degrees. The university’s mission is focused on quality education and preparation for responsible citizenship in a changing world. Since its founding, WCU has grown in size to become a major cultural, scientific and educational force in the region and the state—and the university continues to grow. Total enrollment at WCU now stands at 10,805 students, smashing the old record of 10,382 students set in the fall of 2014. WCU’s freshman class this year totals 1,913 students, surpassing the old mark of 1,859 students set in 1972 during an enrollment boom near the end of the Vietnam era. Western Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the status of Western Carolina University. Western Carolina offers more than 75 undergraduate degree programs, as well as a variety of concentrations and minors, in addition to more than 40 master’s-level programs and certificates and three doctoral programs. Classes are held on the main WCU campus in Cullowhee, and also in Cherokee, at Biltmore Park Town Square in Asheville and online.