Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY · Public

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97.0%
Acceptance Rate
945
Median SAT
$43,889
Median Earnings
7,720
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Down 0.2 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Electrical, Electronics and Co... $70,009
$9,348 $155,297
Mechanical Engineering $63,005
$9,348 $155,297
Construction Engineering Techn... $63,005
$9,348 $155,297
Industrial Production Technolo... $57,318
$9,348 $155,297
Registered Nursing, Nursing Ad... $56,281
$9,348 $155,297
Civil Engineering $51,551
$9,348 $155,297
Accounting and Related Service... $46,999
$9,348 $155,297
Computer and Information Scien... $46,087
$9,348 $155,297
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 7,720 7,492 97.0% 37.7%
2022 7,505 7,276 97.0% 37.9%
2021 7,255 7,145 98.5% 39.6%
2020 8,574 8,381 97.8% 37.2%
2019 8,245 8,019 97.3% 33.8%
2018 9,250 8,992 97.2% 32.6%
2017 9,804 9,358 95.5% 33.3%
2016 9,693 9,113 94.0% 35.0%
2015 8,957 8,303 92.7% 37.6%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$43,889
Median Earnings (6 years)
$38,156
Median Debt
$22,095
6-Year Graduation Rate
53.7%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

In-State Tuition
$10,802
Out-of-State Tuition
$26,496
0
Room & Board
$10,044
0

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $10,075
$30-48k income $16,624
$48-75k income $17,417
$75-110k income $18,219
$110k+ income $18,601

Popular Majors

  • 1 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
  • 2 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • 3 Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • 4 Psychology, General
  • 5 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

Highest Earning Majors

  • Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $70,009
  • Mechanical Engineering $63,005
  • Construction Engineering Technologies $63,005
  • Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians $57,318
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing $56,281

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 16,759
International 1%
Women 62%
Race/Ethnicity
White 75%
Black 8%
Hispanic 6%
Asian 3%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 86%
Avg: $9,368 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 29%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 36%
Avg: $6,327
School's Own Grants 93%
Avg: $6,386 from school funds