Western Carolina University Accounting (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Accounting and Related Services
- Public university
- Cullowhee, NC
- About 45 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Western Carolina University accounting graduates earn less than graduates of most accounting programs nationally, $40,607 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,000 in federal loans, less than at 83% of accounting programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the North Carolina median of $48,489.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The North Carolina and national columns are the medians across all accounting bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Western Carolina University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $2,125 less than the North Carolina median. Several North Carolina programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.
Debt and first-year pay at every North Carolina accounting program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the North Carolina medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
What graduates earn over time
Pay rises about 50% between the first and fifth year.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $212 a month, or 6.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $19,471.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
81% of graduates (34 of 42) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of North Carolina outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $40,607 salary here buys what about $45,930 buys in a typical US city.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to accounting, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Accountants and Auditors
$82,050Median pay in North Carolina. 49,270 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 115,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
$47,930Median pay in North Carolina. 48,760 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 144,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: some college, no degree.
Financial Managers
$166,780Median pay in North Carolina. 22,460 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 65,600 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.
Financial and Investment Analysts
$102,390Median pay in North Carolina. 12,710 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
About Western Carolina University
Accounting ranks 12th of 41 bachelor's programs at Western Carolina University by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($69,067), Nursing ($68,774), and Electrical Engineering Technology ($67,003).
Other accounting bachelor's programs near Cullowhee
Common questions
The median graduate earns $40,607 one year after graduating and $61,038 five years after. The median across accounting bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $48,489.
The median federal loan balance is $20,000, which ranks the lowest of 19 accounting bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $212 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 49% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 45%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.
Most do. 81% (34 of 42) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of North Carolina comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the accounting program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024