Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY · Public · Small city · HILLTOPPERS · WKU
Public institution in Bowling Green, KY · 12,267 undergraduates · 97% acceptance rate · $43,889 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 9%Undergraduates
- Top 19%Average net price
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $10,916376th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $11,436724th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $27,0001,142nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,520589th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,095908th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,8891,419th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,1561,347th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 53.7%1,015th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 78.0%779th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 97.0%1,472nd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 977977th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 12,267205th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 28.7%1,286th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 61 mi (BNA)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $50
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 76 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $72,650 | $70,009 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $65,441 | $63,005 |
| Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology | bachelors | $59,576 | $63,005 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $55,704 | $56,281 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $53,358 | $57,318 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $50,231 | $46,087 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $47,650 | $51,551 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBusiness | bachelors | $44,384 | $41,565 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness | bachelors | $43,798 | $44,747 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $43,426 | $42,682 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $42,363 | $43,054 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $42,309 | $42,682 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1906source
- Athletic nickname: "Lady Toppers"source
- Mascot: Big Redsource
- Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium seats about 22,113source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Motto: "The Spirit makes the Master / Life more life"source
- Formerly known as "Western Kentucky State Normal School" (1906–1922)source
- Formerly known as "Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College" (1922–1930)source
- Formerly known as "Western Kentucky State Teachers College" (1930–1948)source
- Formerly known as "Western Kentucky State College" (1948–1966)source
- Athletic conference: FBSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]]}} institutionsource
- Football rivalry: 100 Miles of Hate (since 1914)source
- Plays for the "Red Belt" (since 1931)source
- Football rivalry: Battle of the Bluegrass (since 1914)source
- Fight song: ""WKU Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: John Carpentersource
- Notable alum: Sue Graftonsource
- Notable alum: Michael Rosenbaumsource
- Notable alum: Charles Napiersource
- Notable alum: Courtney Leesource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $5,853,809 (M $3,800,875 · W $2,052,934)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitewku.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 157951)
- Compare colleges in KYRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in KentuckyEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Western Kentucky University vs Eastern Kentucky UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.