Western Kentucky University: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #1048 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #303 of 2,597 | In North America |
| #272 of 2,496 | In the United States |
| #3 of 38 | In Kentucky |
| #1 of 2 | In Bowling Green |
| #359 of 1,030 | For Early Childhood Education |
| Top50% | For 102 other topics |
Quick Review
- Acceptance rate
- 94%
- Undergraduates
- 14,151
- Graduates
- 2,140
- Male:Female Ratio
- 37:63
- Control
- Public
- Highest Degree
- Doctor's degree
- Website
- www.wku.edu
Western Kentucky University Acceptance rate and admissions statistics
Western Kentucky University has an acceptance rate of 94% and is among the 31% of the easiest universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 94% | 93% | 95% |
| Applicants | 9,840 | 3,622 | 6,042 |
| Admissions | 9,237 | 3,357 | 5,714 |
| Freshmen enrolled full time | 2,753 | 1,058 | 1,640 |
| Freshmen enrolled part time | 35 | 9 | 26 |
6,624 students enrolled in some distance education courses.
3,505 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
SAT scores
Among admitted applicants
15 or 3%
submitted SAT
25% of them
had 840
or below
75% of them
had 1050
or below
Typical SAT scores of first-years in Western Kentucky University are 840-1050 (middle 50% range).
ACT scores
Among admitted applicants
72 or 3%
submitted ACT
25% of them
had 16
or below
75% of them
had 21
or below
Typical ACT scores of first-years in Western Kentucky University are 16-21 (middle 50% range).
Admissions requirements
| College-preparatory program | Required |
|---|---|
| Secondary school GPA | Required |
| Secondary school record | Required |
| TOEFL | Required |
| SAT/ACT | Considered but not required |
| Formal demonstration of competencies | Neither required nor recommended |
| Other Tests | Neither required nor recommended |
| Recommendations | Neither required nor recommended |
| Secondary school rank | Neither required nor recommended |
Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity
| White | 12231 (75%) |
|---|---|
| Black or African American | 1395 (9%) |
| Hispanic | 1015 (6%) |
| Two or more races | 689 (4%) |
| Asian | 549 (3%) |
| Race or Ethnicity unknown | 204 (1%) |
| Nonresident Alien | 150 (0.9%) |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 20 (0.1%) |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 17 (0.1%) |
Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees
The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.
- Average aid awarded
- $10,921
- Students receiving aid
- 99%
Tuition and fees
| Undergraduates | Graduates | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition in-district | $11,652 | $12,140 |
| Tuition in-state | $11,652 | $12,140 |
| Tuition out-of-state | $27,000 | $18,340 |
Room and board costs
| Dormitory capacity | 5,127 |
|---|---|
| Combined charge for room and board | $12,582 |
| Room charge | $7,638 |
| Meal charge | $4,944 |
Western Kentucky University majors
Western Kentucky University has granted 2,735 bachelor's degrees across 89 programs, 715 master's across 42 programs, and 52 doctorate degrees across 4 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Western Kentucky University.
| Major | Associate | Bachelor | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse | 114 | 146 | 13 | |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 184 | 64 | ||
| General Studies | 50 | 137 | ||
| Psychology, General | 129 | 19 | ||
| Social Work | 89 | 54 | ||
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 114 | 28 | ||
| Organizational Leadership | 5 | 36 | 74 | |
| Biology & Biological Sciences, General | 94 | 15 | ||
| Marketing & Marketing Management, General | 107 | |||
| Criminology | 97 | |||
| Finance, General | 69 | |||
| Health & Health Care Administration & Management | 58 | 8 | ||
| Audiology & Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology & Pathologist | 65 | |||
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 65 | |||
| Accounting | 56 | 8 | ||
| Health Services & Allied Health & Health Sciences, General | 61 | |||
| Agriculture, General | 54 | 2 | ||
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 13 | 38 | ||
| Information Technology | 50 | |||
| Sports Studies | 50 | |||
| Fine & Studio Arts, General | 49 | |||
| Apparel and Textiles, General | 47 | |||
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General | 12 | 33 | ||
| Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | 45 | |||
| Mechanical Engineering | 44 | |||
| Educational Leadership and Administration, General | 26 | 13 | ||
| English Language and Literature, General | 33 | 4 | ||
| History, General | 27 | 10 | ||
| Construction Management, General | 36 | |||
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 36 | |||
| Communication Sciences and Disorders, General | 34 | |||
| Business Analytics | 31 | |||
| Dental Hygiene & Hygienist | 31 | |||
| Library and Information Science | 30 | |||
| Political Science and Government, General | 30 | |||
| Broadcast Journalism | 29 | |||
| Computer Science | 29 | |||
| Civil Engineering, General | 28 | |||
| Hospitality Administration & Management, General | 27 | |||
| Physical Therapy & Therapist | 27 | |||
| Public Relations & Image Management | 27 | |||
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 22 | 4 | ||
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 8 | 17 | ||
| Industrial Technology & Technician | 25 | |||
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 20 | 5 | ||
| Architectural Technology & Technician | 24 | |||
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 23 | |||
| Music Performance, General | 21 | |||
| Advertising | 20 | |||
| Business & Managerial Economics | 20 | |||
| Mathematics, General | 9 | 11 | ||
| Chemistry, General | 13 | 5 | ||
| Cinematography and Film & Video Production | 17 | |||
| Dramatic & Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | 17 | |||
| Environmental Studies | 17 | |||
| Junior High & Intermediate & Middle School Education and Teaching | 17 | |||
| Sociology, General | 17 | |||
| Anthropology, General | 16 | |||
| Journalism | 16 | |||
| Radio and Television | 16 | |||
| Spanish Language and Literature | 16 | |||
| Biochemistry | 15 | |||
| Counseling Psychology | 15 | |||
| Public Health, General | 15 | |||
| Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General | 14 | |||
| Family and Consumer Sciences & Home Economics Teacher Education | 14 | |||
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 13 | |||
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology & Technician | 13 | |||
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 8 | 4 | ||
| Environmental Health | 6 | 6 | ||
| Geology & Earth Science, General | 11 | |||
| Nursing Practice | 11 | |||
| School Psychology | 10 | 1 | ||
| Dance, General | 10 | |||
| International Business & Trade & Commerce | 10 | |||
| Music, Other | 10 | |||
| Social Sciences, General | 10 | |||
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 9 | |||
| Health Information & Medical Records Administration & Administrator | 9 | |||
| Chinese Language and Literature | 8 | |||
| Earth Systems Science | 8 | |||
| Economics, General | 8 | |||
| Education & Teaching of the Gifted and Talented | 8 | |||
| Educational & Instructional Technology | 8 | |||
| Legal Assistant & Paralegal | 1 | 7 | ||
| Reading Teacher Education | 8 | |||
| Creative Writing | 7 | |||
| Music Teacher Education | 7 | |||
| Public Administration | 7 | |||
| Clinical Laboratory Science & Medical Technology & Technologist | 6 | |||
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 6 | |||
| International Relations and Affairs | 6 | |||
| Organizational Communication, General | 6 | |||
| Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Studies | 5 | |||
| Meteorology | 5 | |||
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 4 | |||
| Engineering & Industrial Management | 4 | |||
| Molecular Genetics | 4 | |||
| Photojournalism | 4 | |||
| Physics, General | 4 | |||
| Religion & Religious Studies | 4 | |||
| Cybersecurity Defense Strategy & Policy | 3 | |||
| English Language and Literature & Letters, Other | 3 | |||
| Folklore Studies | 3 | |||
| Legal Studies | 3 | |||
| Arabic Language and Literature | 2 | |||
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 2 | |||
| Asian Studies & Civilization | 2 | |||
| Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Analysis | 2 | |||
| Family and Community Services | 1 | |||
| Multi- & Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 | |||
| Physical Sciences, General | 1 | |||
| Grand Total | 170 | 2,735 | 715 | 52 |
Western Kentucky University has a graduation rate of 56%, which is among the 48% highest for universities in the US.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 56% | 50% | 59% |
| |||
Publications & Citations
Western Kentucky University has published 10,675 scientific papers with 192,533 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Biology, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Political Science, Medicine, Physics, Law, and Psychology.
Publication / Citation count by topic
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 75 | 308 |
| 1994 | 76 | 401 |
| 1995 | 85 | 438 |
| 1996 | 113 | 517 |
| 1997 | 107 | 526 |
| 1998 | 110 | 586 |
| 1999 | 124 | 604 |
| 2000 | 132 | 739 |
| 2001 | 156 | 934 |
| 2002 | 140 | 1119 |
| 2003 | 177 | 1229 |
| 2004 | 219 | 1583 |
| 2005 | 247 | 1907 |
| 2006 | 239 | 2345 |
| 2007 | 296 | 2806 |
| 2008 | 343 | 3453 |
| 2009 | 345 | 4394 |
| 2010 | 397 | 4757 |
| 2011 | 403 | 5553 |
| 2012 | 413 | 6341 |
| 2013 | 499 | 6884 |
| 2014 | 500 | 7724 |
| 2015 | 568 | 8465 |
| 2016 | 517 | 8855 |
| 2017 | 397 | 9596 |
| 2018 | 399 | 10743 |
| 2019 | 357 | 12189 |
| 2020 | 432 | 14357 |
| 2021 | 376 | 15217 |
| 2022 | 356 | 14429 |
| 2023 | 386 | 15028 |
| 2024 | 299 | 14021 |
| 2025 | 220 | 12479 |
Western Kentucky University alumni
-
John Carpenter
- Occupations
- film directorwriterproducerfilm screenwriterfilm producer
- Biography
-
John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is generally recognized as a master of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award and lauded him as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions". On April 3, 2025, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
-
Michael Rosenbaum
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directoractorwritervoice actor
- Biography
-
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and podcaster. He is known for portraying Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville, a role that TV Guide included in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time".
-
Matt Long
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
-
Matthew Long is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ezekiel Landon in the NBC/Netflix sci fi drama Manifest (2019–2023), and his roles in the television series Jack & Bobby (2004–2005), and the films Ghost Rider (2007) and Sydney White (2007).
-
Charles Napier
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
-
Charles Lewis Napier was an American actor who was known for playing supporting and occasional leading roles in television and films. He was frequently cast as police officers, soldiers, or authority figures, many of them villainous or corrupt. After leaving his Kentucky hometown to serve in the Army, he graduated from college and worked as a sports coach and art teacher before settling on acting as a career. His first prominent role in a film was in Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1969), which was the first of four films he would do with director Russ Meyer. Napier established himself in character roles and worked steadily for the next 35 years. He made numerous collaborations with director Jonathan Demme, including roles in Something Wild (1986), Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Beloved (1998), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).
General info
| Alternative names | WKU HILLTOPPERS |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1906 |
| Motto | The Spirit Makes The Master |
| Colors | red, white |
| Academic calendar | August to May (August - December; January-May). Also Summer Session (May-August) |
| Total FTE staff | 1,922 |
| Carnegie classification | Doctoral/Professional Universities |
Location and contacts
| Address | 1906 College Heights Blvd Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101-1000 United States |
|---|---|
| City population | 72,000 |
| Phone | 2707450111 |