Western Kentucky University
Public four-year university in Bowling Green, KY that costs an average of $11,789 a year after financial aid, admits 94% of applicants and graduates 56% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$11,789
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
56%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$48,408
PublicSmall city12,155 undergraduates
Cost of Western Kentucky University
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $24,535 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $12,072 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $27,000 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $13,080 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Average net price after aid | $11,789 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $9,356 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $7,809 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $8,394 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $13,925 |
| $110,001+ | $19,009 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with Western Kentucky University's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 94% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 971 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 420–530 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 420–520 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 16–21 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 56% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 78% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $44,038 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $48,408 |
| Rank in Kentucky (earnings) | 16th of 29 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $19,500 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $222 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 36% |
| Students with federal loans | 37% |
Majors and programs at Western Kentucky University
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (80)
Certificate programs (34)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | $50,459 | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 33 | $45,645 | $27,000 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 41 | $38,850 | $25,750 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 41 | $35,569 | $18,457 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | 9 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 5 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 123 | — | — |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | 13 | — | — |
| Citizenship Activities | — | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 195 | — | $17,625 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 32 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 7 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 93 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 4 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 16 | — | — |
| Food Science and Technology | 9 | — | — |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | 5 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 37 | — | $18,901 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 13 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 28 | — | — |
| Legal Support Services | 9 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | 18 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Public Health | 14 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 95 | — | $25,000 |
| Real Estate | 6 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | — | — |
| Social Work | 1 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 5 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 4 | — | — |
Associate's degree programs (8)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 210 | $74,271 | $13,561 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 99 | $35,358 | $17,000 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 1 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 11 | — | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 6 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 1 | — | — |
| Legal Support Services | 2 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 3 | — | — |
Master's degree programs (38)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 37 | $85,662 | $22,378 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 298 | $72,265 | $23,009 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 25 | $61,857 | — |
| Public Health | 51 | $58,836 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 149 | $56,245 | $41,000 |
| Psychology | 35 | $52,177 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 37 | $51,588 | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 66 | $50,221 | — |
| Library Science and Administration | 58 | $49,245 | $12,360 |
| Social Work | 106 | $47,211 | $20,500 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 53 | $42,418 | $41,000 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 86 | $42,250 | $22,954 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 152 | $42,230 | $24,890 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 21 | $41,899 | — |
| Agriculture | 6 | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 8 | — | — |
| Biology | 29 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 6 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 7 | — | — |
| Criminology | — | — | — |
| Earth Systems Science | 8 | — | — |
| Economics | 13 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 32 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 15 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 7 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 9 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 3 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 20 | — | — |
| History | 16 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 6 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 15 | — | — |
| Public Administration | 15 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 11 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 4 | — | — |
| Sociology | 1 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (4)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | — | $97,589 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 25 | $81,091 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | $74,354 | $98,500 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | — | — | — |
Professional degree programs (3)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 2 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 25 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 56 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (28)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 29 | — | — |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 1 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 13 | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 17 | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 5 | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 14 | — | — |
| Economics | 2 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | — | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 13 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 7 | — | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 17 | — | — |
| Public Administration | 5 | — | — |
| Public Health | 29 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 26 | — | — |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 2 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 24 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 5 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 4 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 17 | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 8 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 10 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 26 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | — | — | — |
Similar colleges in Kentucky
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond | $11,925 | 78% | $50,885 |
| University of Louisville | Louisville | $14,960 | 79% | $60,032 |
| Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights | $8,976 | 68% | $55,024 |
| Murray State University | Murray | $7,350 | 86% | $48,482 |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington | $18,868 | 93% | $63,924 |
| Morehead State University | Morehead | $9,912 | 77% | $47,134 |
| Kentucky State University | Frankfort | $17,637 | 96% | $42,650 |
About Western Kentucky University
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Bowling Green, KY |
| Setting | Small city |
| Undergraduates | 12,155 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 19 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Website | wku.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is Western Kentucky University's acceptance rate?
Western Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants. Admitted students average 971 on the SAT.
How much does Western Kentucky University cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $24,535 a year (tuition and fees: $12,072 in-state, $27,000 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $11,789 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $9,356.
How much do Western Kentucky University graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $48,408 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 16th of 29 similar colleges in Kentucky. The best-paid bachelor's program is registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing ($73,223 a year after graduation).
What is Western Kentucky University's graduation rate?
56% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% of first-year students return for a second year.