Western Kentucky University
Basic Information
Type
Public
Geographical Reach
Regional
Location
Bowling Green, KY
Population
180,000
Website
http://www.wku.edu/
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
12,267
Men / Women
39% / 61%
White
75%
Black
9%
Hispanic
7%
Asian
4%
Mixed
4%
International
1%
Native American
0%
From State
67%
From Region
30%
Academics
Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics
24%
Health Sciences
15%
Arts
8%
Education
7%
Life & Natural Sciences
7%
Computer Science
3%
Engineering
3%
Professional
3%
Physical Sciences & Math
2%
Financial
In-State Tuition & Fees
$11,652
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$27,000
Est. In-State Cost
$15,073
Est. Out-of-State Cost
$34,927
10-Year ROI
$141,000
ROI Percentile
47th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
78%
4-Year Graduation Rate
44%
6-Year Graduation Rate
56%
Transfer-Out Rate
23%
Weather
Comfortable Days
115 (84%)
Sunshine Hours
2,543 (47%)
Days Without Precipitation
235 (29%)
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
85%
Yield (Unbound)
30%
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Research
Research Level
R3
Expenditure
| Humanities & Social Sciences | $2M | #233 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | $7M | #282 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | $1M | #348 |
Graduate Degrees
| Engineering, Computing & Math | 0 | #258 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | 38 | #335 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | 14 | #426 |
Honors College
Name
Mahurin Honors College
Students
1,000 (8%)
Standardized Tests
Test Scores
Test Policy
optional
ACT Range
16
–
21
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | 2,735 | 38% / 62% | 1% | $52,316 | 94% | ||
| Civil Engineering | 28 — | 82% / 18% | 0% | $69,462 | 79 | 95% | |
| Electrical Engineering | 23 — | 100% / 0% | 17% | $91,315 | 95 | 94% | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 44 — | 86% / 14% | 2% | $77,336 | 87 | 100% | |
| Computer Science | 29 — | 93% / 7% | 0% | $80,539 | 89 | — | |
| Information Technology | 50 — | 90% / 10% | 2% | $62,798 | 69 | 99% | |
| Chemistry | 13 +2 | 38% / 62% | 0% | $55,012 | 51 | 100% | |
| Geosciences | 11 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $53,567 | 47 | 91% | |
| Mathematics | 9 — | 44% / 56% | 0% | $43,859 | 20 | 93% | |
| Meteorology | 5 — | 80% / 20% | 0% | $52,838 | 45 | — | |
| Physical Sciences | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $59,866 | 63 | — | |
| Physics | 4 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $60,506 | 64 | — | |
| Agriculture | 54 — | 44% / 56% | 0% | $45,055 | 23 | 90% | |
| Biochemistry | 15 — | 40% / 60% | 0% | $56,285 | 55 | — | |
| Biology | 94 — | 39% / 61% | 1% | $57,509 | 58 | 95% | |
| Environmental Studies | 17 +4 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $48,242 | 32 | — | |
| Molecular Genetics | 4 — | 25% / 75% | 0% | $56,372 | 55 | — | |
| Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist | 6 — | 17% / 83% | 33% | $67,477 | 76 | — | |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | 34 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $55,579 | 53 | 97% | |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 9 — | 0% / 100% | 11% | $51,773 | 42 | 100% | |
| Dental Hygiene/Hygienist | 31 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $43,019 | 18 | 87% | |
| Environmental Health | 6 — | 17% / 83% | 33% | $51,773 | 42 | 100% | |
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 65 — | 34% / 66% | 0% | $49,122 | 34 | 94% | |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 61 — | 10% / 90% | 0% | $55,237 | 52 | 94% | |
| Nursing | 146 — | 12% / 88% | 1% | $75,333 | 85 | 97% | |
| Sports Studies | 50 +1 | 70% / 30% | 4% | $49,122 | 34 | 94% | |
| Accounting | 56 — | 50% / 50% | 2% | $71,617 | 81 | 98% | |
| Advertising and Public Relations | 20 +4 | 15% / 85% | 0% | $49,056 | 34 | 95% | |
| Business Analytics | 31 +9 | 52% / 48% | 3% | $61,300 | 66 | — | |
| Business Economics | 8 +2 | 62% / 38% | 12% | $54,462 | 50 | 91% | |
| Business Management and Administration | 184 +1 | 53% / 47% | 1% | $55,804 | 53 | 95% | |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 20 — | 75% / 25% | 0% | $62,164 | 67 | — | |
| Economics | 8 +1 | 75% / 25% | 0% | $54,462 | 50 | 91% | |
| Entrepreneurship | 5 — | 80% / 20% | 20% | $53,037 | 46 | — | |
| Finance | 69 — | 68% / 32% | 1% | $66,693 | 75 | 97% | |
| Health Administration | 58 — | 19% / 81% | 0% | $51,696 | 42 | 92% | |
| Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator | 9 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,696 | 42 | 92% | |
| Hospitality Management | 27 — | 15% / 85% | 4% | $44,211 | 21 | 89% | |
| International Business | 10 — | 30% / 70% | 0% | $55,103 | 52 | — | |
| Management Information Systems | — — | — | — | $61,384 | 66 | — | |
| Marketing | 107 +1 | 44% / 56% | 0% | $58,688 | 60 | 97% | |
| Organizational Leadership | 36 +1 | 47% / 53% | 0% | $55,804 | 53 | 95% | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 12 +1 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $40,705 | 13 | 100% | |
| Anthropology | 16 +4 | 19% / 81% | 0% | $40,621 | 13 | 96% | |
| Arabic | 2 +2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $42,348 | 16 | — | |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 2 +2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $42,937 | 17 | — | |
| Broadcast Journalism | 29 — | 52% / 48% | 0% | $43,572 | 19 | 96% | |
| Chinese | 8 +2 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $42,346 | 16 | 84% | |
| Criminology | 97 +21 | 31% / 69% | 2% | $44,222 | 21 | 97% | |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 2 +6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $43,472 | 19 | — | |
| English | 33 +2 | 21% / 79% | 0% | $38,385 | 9 | 91% | |
| English Language and Literature/Letters | 3 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $40,349 | 12 | — | |
| General Social Sciences | 10 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $46,608 | 27 | 90% | |
| General Studies | 137 — | 45% / 55% | 1% | $40,352 | 12 | 89% | |
| Geographic Information Science | — — | — | — | $51,123 | 40 | — | |
| Geography | — — | — | — | $50,673 | 39 | — | |
| History | 27 +8 | 59% / 41% | 0% | $44,446 | 21 | 97% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $44,770 | 22 | — | |
| International Affairs | 6 +9 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $63,416 | 70 | 89% | |
| Journalism | 16 +1 | 31% / 69% | 12% | $43,572 | 19 | 96% | |
| Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 7 +4 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $47,595 | 30 | — | |
| Legal Studies | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $48,331 | 32 | — | |
| Organizational Communication | 6 +2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $49,056 | 34 | 95% | |
| Photojournalism | 4 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $43,572 | 19 | 96% | |
| Political Science | 30 +17 | 37% / 63% | 0% | $52,865 | 45 | 90% | |
| Psychology | 129 +16 | 16% / 84% | 0% | $41,167 | 14 | 86% | |
| Public Relations | 27 +8 | 11% / 89% | 0% | $49,056 | 34 | 95% | |
| Radio and Television | 16 — | 62% / 38% | 0% | $40,617 | 13 | 96% | |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 4 +1 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $41,851 | 15 | — | |
| Research & Experimental Psychology | 36 +1 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $41,526 | 14 | — | |
| Social Work | 89 — | 10% / 90% | 0% | $40,739 | 13 | 91% | |
| Sociology | 17 +28 | 6% / 94% | 6% | $41,047 | 13 | 86% | |
| Spanish | 16 +9 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $41,409 | 14 | 93% | |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 22 +4 | 18% / 82% | 0% | $45,754 | 25 | 95% | |
| Early Childhood Education | 8 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $40,660 | 13 | 95% | |
| Elementary Education | 114 — | 4% / 96% | 0% | $40,660 | 13 | 95% | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education | 14 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $41,362 | 14 | 98% | |
| Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching | 17 +1 | 24% / 76% | 0% | $40,660 | 13 | 95% | |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 20 — | 70% / 30% | 0% | $41,362 | 14 | 98% | |
| Special Education | 13 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $39,891 | 11 | 100% | |
| Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | — +7 | — | — | $41,290 | 14 | — | |
| Trade and Industrial Teacher Education | — — | — | — | $41,685 | 15 | — | |
| Apparel and Textiles | 47 — | 2% / 98% | 0% | $39,614 | 11 | 94% | |
| Architectural Technology/Technician | 24 — | 75% / 25% | 0% | $61,001 | 65 | 96% | |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 2 +1 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $34,236 | 5 | 82% | |
| Dance | 10 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $34,126 | 5 | — | |
| Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 17 — | 29% / 71% | 0% | $34,287 | 5 | 100% | |
| Film Production | 17 — | 65% / 35% | 0% | $36,737 | 7 | — | |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 49 — | 24% / 76% | 0% | $34,236 | 5 | 82% | |
| Music | 10 — | 70% / 30% | 0% | $43,735 | 19 | 94% | |
| Music Performance | 21 — | 43% / 57% | 0% | $43,735 | 19 | 94% | |
| Theater | 14 +2 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $34,287 | 5 | 100% | |
| Construction Management | 36 — | 89% / 11% | 0% | $78,909 | 88 | — | |
| Industrial Technology/Technician | 25 — | 92% / 8% | 0% | $72,873 | 83 | 100% | |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician | 13 — | 85% / 15% | 0% | $72,873 | 83 | 100% |