Western Carolina University research and development spending, FY2024
- Cullowhee, NC
- D/PU
- Public
- Standard form filer
Western Carolina University in FY2024
$2.3 million
spent on research and development in FY2024, as reported to the NSF HERD Survey
- National rank
- #580 of 925
- Change on FY2023
- down 8.3%
- Rank change
- down 35
Western Carolina University reported $2.3 million of research and development spending in FY2024, ranking #580 of the 925 institutions in the survey. That is down 8.3% on FY2023's $2.5 million; its national rank was down 35 places. Federal government is its largest funding source at 70.8% ($1.7 million), followed by institution funds at 15.4%. Its largest field of research is life sciences, $557 thousand or 23.9% of the total.
Over time
Research spending, FY2010 to FY2024
Standard-form totals FY2010 onwards as revised by NCSES in the newest release; rank is within that series.
Year-by-year figures
| Fiscal year | R&D expenditure | Rank in series |
|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | $2.4 million | 453 |
| FY2011 | $1.5 million | 530 |
| FY2012 | $1.8 million | 512 |
| FY2013 | $1.0 million | 550 |
| FY2014 | $1.0 million | 556 |
| FY2015 | $1.1 million | 556 |
| FY2016 | $1.3 million | 553 |
| FY2017 | $1.5 million | 542 |
| FY2018 | $1.5 million | 551 |
| FY2019 | $2.6 million | 481 |
| FY2020 | $2.7 million | 475 |
| FY2021 | $2.8 million | 483 |
| FY2022 | $2.8 million | 506 |
| FY2023 | $2.5 million | 541 |
| FY2024 | $2.3 million | 575 |
FY2024 breakdown
Where the money came from, and what it paid for
FY2024 funding sources and research fields
Funding sources
The 5 NSF funding sources Western Carolina University reported in FY2024, largest first. Shares are of its own FY2024 total, and the rank is national within that source.
| Source | FY2024 | Share | Change on FY2023 | US rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal government | $1.7 million | 70.8% | +3.2% | 513 |
| Institution funds | $359 thousand | 15.4% | −5.0% | 593 |
| State and local government | $212 thousand | 9.1% | −37.1% | 456 |
| Business | $83 thousand | 3.6% | −51.5% | 407 |
| Nonprofit organizations | $28 thousand | 1.2% | −50.9% | 663 |
| All sources | $2.3 million | 100.0% | −8.3% | 580 |
Fields of research
The 7 NSF research fields Western Carolina University reported in FY2024, largest first.
| Field | FY2024 | Share | Change on FY2023 | US rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life sciences | $557 thousand | 23.9% | −32.2% | 573 |
| Engineering | $478 thousand | 20.5% | +21.0% | 339 |
| Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences | $426 thousand | 18.3% | −12.0% | 292 |
| Non-S&E | $419 thousand | 18.0% | −21.2% | 471 |
| Physical sciences | $218 thousand | 9.3% | +289.3% | 485 |
| Social sciences | $182 thousand | 7.8% | 0.0% | 422 |
| Mathematics and statistics | $53 thousand | 2.3% | −26.4% | 409 |
Neighbours
Ranked around Western Carolina University
Institutions ranked immediately above and below
The five institutions ranked above Western Carolina University and the five below it in the FY2024 national ranking.
| Rank | Institution | FY2024 R&D |
|---|---|---|
| 575 | John Carroll University | $2.4M |
| 576 | Savannah State University | $2.4M |
| 577 | Mount Holyoke College | $2.4M |
| 578 | University of the Pacific | $2.4M |
| 579 | Touro University, California | $2.4M |
| 580 | Western Carolina University | $2.3M |
| 581 | Morehead State University | $2.3M |
| 582 | Union College, Schenectady | $2.3M |
| 583 | Utah Valley University | $2.3M |
| 584 | Stockton University | $2.3M |
| 585 | Manhattan College | $2.2M |
Keep looking
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Request a demoData: NSF HERD FY2024, built from NSF's published tables on September 8, 2026. Page updated September 13, 2026.
Data: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY2024.
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