Western Kentucky University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It enrolls 12,155 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes51
Value84
Affordability66
Selectivity8
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 93.9%, Western Kentucky University is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
93.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
840 – 1050
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
16 – 21
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Western Kentucky University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Western Kentucky University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $10,990 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$10,990
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
30%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
35%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$11,652
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$27,000
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,582
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,582
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,484
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,188
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,188
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$7,087
$30,001 – $48,000
$6,871
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,765
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,049
Over $110,000
$17,653
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,00710%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$22,095Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$39,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,500
↓ $6,595
No Pell $13,000
↓ $9,095
Dependent students $14,250
↓ $7,845
Independent students $15,749
↓ $6,346
Female students $14,750
↓ $7,345
Male students $14,250
↓ $7,845
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,343, less than completers ($22,095), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
43% of full-time students who enrolled at Western Kentucky University graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
43%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
78%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Western Kentucky University earn a median of $43,889 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,889
Earning > $25K
73%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$34,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$44,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$33,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$40,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $10,000, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
20.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 81% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Western Kentucky University is home to 12,155 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 36% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
12,155
Part-Time
9%
First-Generation
36%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 74.3%9,028
Black 9.0%1,092
Hispanic 6.5%795
Other 4.8%579
Asian 3.5%423
International 0.6%72
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Western Kentucky University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CityBowling Green, Kentucky
Housing
Mostly residential4,942 beds on campus
Adult Learners
9%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Western Kentucky University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
144 distinct programs across
29 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Kentucky University is 18:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,707
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$17M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$71,825
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
637 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
193
30%
$88,466
Associate Professors
179
28%
$71,514
Assistant Professors
122
19%
$68,480
Instructors
134
21%
$51,473
Lecturers
1
0%
$70,000
No Rank
8
1%
$69,413
Pros & Cons of Western Kentucky University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Western Kentucky University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
CONS
Class sizes are on the higher side
Below-average completion rate
Best for:
Based on the data, Western Kentucky University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Western Kentucky University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Western Kentucky University.
Is Western Kentucky University hard to get into?
Western Kentucky University has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 93.9%.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Kentucky University?
Western Kentucky University has an acceptance rate of 93.9%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Western Kentucky University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Western Kentucky University scored between 840 and 1050 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Western Kentucky University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Western Kentucky University scored between 16 and 21 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Western Kentucky University cost?
The average net price after aid at Western Kentucky University is $10,990 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Western Kentucky University worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $43,889 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $10,990 per year. That's roughly 4.0x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Western Kentucky University known for?
Western Kentucky University is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Nursing, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Western Kentucky University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Western Kentucky University are $43,889, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Western Kentucky University accredited?
Yes. Western Kentucky University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Western Kentucky University?
Western Kentucky University enrolls 12,155 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Western Kentucky University?
Western Kentucky University graduates 43% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Western Kentucky University a public or private college?
Western Kentucky University is a Public institution.
Where is Western Kentucky University located?
Western Kentucky University is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
What programs does Western Kentucky University offer?
Western Kentucky University offers 144 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Nursing, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Western Kentucky University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Western Kentucky University is 18:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Kentucky
Other colleges in Kentucky share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Information Systems
Business Administration
Teacher Education (K-12)
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Most Affordable Library Science Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Library Science, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$4,195 Lowest Net
$18,199 Avg Net
93 UCD Score
$82,511 Top Earn
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
