Location
- Western Carolina University
- Cullowhee, NC
- California State University-Bakersfield
- Bakersfield, CA
Western Carolina University vs California State University-Bakersfield
Cullowhee, NC · Bakersfield, CA · largest Scorecard gap: out-of-state tuition
Scorecard match plate
Pair NC:CA
PUBLIC-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-OPEN · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-PAR · GAP-TUITION
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- CROSS-STATE NC × CA
- ACCEPT-OPEN Open admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-PAR Completion near-par
- GAP-TUITION Largest gap · Out-of-State Tuition
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-1SIDE · modest · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Only one enrollment path is a trend
ENROLL-1SIDE · modest · 2013–2023
Size changed directionally at one school over 2013–2023; the peer's series stays a range. Pair any selectivity note with that asymmetry before treating the two campuses as parallel growth stories.
- Western Carolina University: enrollment grew +19.8% over 2013–2023; fitted +190 students/yr fitted, r² 0.73.
- California State University-Bakersfield: enrollment ranged 7,226–9,955 (2013–2023, 11 points) without a stable fitted direction.
- Western Carolina University: acceptance rate eased +130.1% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.74).
- California State University-Bakersfield: acceptance rate eased +33.1% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.61).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
- Western Carolina University
- 10,024
Out-of-State Tuition
- Western Carolina University
- $8,630
Avg Net Price
- Western Carolina University
- $13,315
In-State Tuition
- Western Carolina University
- $4,630
Median Debt at Graduation
- Western Carolina University
- $21,868
150%-Time Completion
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- Western Carolina University
- $49,458
Acceptance Rate
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Cullowhee, NC | Bakersfield, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 10,024 | 8,577 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $8,630 | $20,690 |
| Avg Net Price | $13,315 | $5,652 |
| In-State Tuition | $4,630 | $8,090 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $21,868 | $16,600 |
| 150%-Time Completion | 59.7% | 49.6% |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $49,458 | $59,009 |
| Acceptance Rate | 81.8% | 93.8% |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 68.7% | 62.6% |
Largest gaps: Western Carolina University vs California State University-Bakersfield
- OUT-OF-STATE-TUITI Western Carolina University leads on out-of-state tuition ($8,630 vs $20,690 at California State University-Bakersfield)
- AVG-NET-PRICE California State University-Bakersfield leads on avg net price ($5,652 vs $13,315 at Western Carolina University)
- IN-STATE-TUITION Western Carolina University leads on in-state tuition ($4,630 vs $8,090 at California State University-Bakersfield)
Western Carolina University profile · California State University-Bakersfield profile · Compare other colleges
Out-of-State Tuition and other Scorecard questions
On out-of-state tuition, who leads between Western Carolina University and California State University-Bakersfield?▼
Western Carolina University leads on out-of-state tuition at $8,630 versus $20,690 at California State University-Bakersfield. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between Western Carolina University and California State University-Bakersfield?▼
California State University-Bakersfield leads on avg net price at $5,652 versus $13,315 at Western Carolina University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On in-state tuition, who leads between Western Carolina University and California State University-Bakersfield?▼
Western Carolina University leads on in-state tuition at $4,630 versus $8,090 at California State University-Bakersfield. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); out-of-state tuition focus for this pair · 2025