Programs & majors brief
Western Carolina University Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at Western Carolina University?
50 of 50 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 21 | $86,853 | #176 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 43 | $83,954 | #29 |
| Engineering, General | 50 | $82,500 | #14 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 250 | $79,533 | #215 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 16 | $79,441 | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | 53 | $78,801 | #11 |
| Public Administration | 90 | $70,331 | #4 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 107 | $65,010 | #51 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 39 | $62,128 | #78 |
| Public Health small degree count | 8 | $61,698 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 44 | $61,346 | #260 |
| Mathematics | 22 | $59,885 | #198 |
| Design and Applied Arts small degree count | 19 | $58,467 | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 54 | $58,076 | #206 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 273 | $57,713 | #266 |
| Marketing | 149 | $56,568 | #167 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 149 | $55,903 | #86 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 26 | $53,622 | #33 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 32 | $52,183 | #132 |
| Political Science and Government | 25 | $52,077 | #265 |
| Chemistry | 62 | $51,213 | #143 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 31 | $50,761 | #190 |
| Biology, General | 90 | $50,180 | #325 |
| Social Work | 59 | $50,025 | #136 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 27 | $49,898 | #23 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 27 | $49,834 | #13 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 34 | $49,798 | #72 |
| Psychology, General | 128 | $48,350 | #239 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 60 | $48,232 | #120 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 150 | $47,105 | #152 |
| Special Education and Teaching small degree count | 12 | $47,031 | — |
| Sociology | 20 | $46,195 | #226 |
| Anthropology | 48 | $45,809 | #57 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 39 | $45,079 | #231 |
| Music | 50 | $44,014 | #78 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication small degree count | 14 | $43,954 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 46 | $43,322 | #240 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 39 | $43,029 | #122 |
| History small degree count | 19 | $42,698 | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 32 | $41,786 | #25 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 28 | $40,831 | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 16 | $40,744 | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 21 | $34,516 | #124 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 29 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 127 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at Western Carolina University?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do Western Carolina University majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- Public Administration#4
- Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General#11
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy#13
- Engineering, General#14
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions#23
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management#25
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician#29
- Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services#33
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Included by program size#215
- Business Administration, Management and Operations Included by program size#266
Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.
Further analysis
Outcomes at Western Carolina University vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university has 35 ranked programs and 43 with published earnings data.
The degree mix is concentrated in two families: Business accounts for 22.0% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Health Professions makes up 21.1%. Education is a distant third at 8.1%.
Nursing is a large program with 250 degrees awarded, median earnings of $79,533, and an Azimuth national rank of #215. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Computer Science graduates earn $86,853 four years after completion, from 21 degrees a year.
Azimuth ranks Public Administration #4 nationally, with 90 degrees awarded and earnings of $70,331.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.