Bowling Green, KY · Public · 12,155 undergraduates · urban
Western Kentucky University
Less selective
WKU combines a regional public mission with visible strengths in broadcasting, journalism, business, education, nursing, and applied professional fields.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in affordability, and steady in mobility.- Admission
- 97.1% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 53.6%
7,720 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$43,889 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Western Kentucky University apart
Academic design
Media and communication, education, business, health, sciences, and applied professional programs drive much undergraduate study.
Campus pattern
Bowling Green campus rises dramatically on a central hill overlooking the city.
Career & value signal
Regional access extends toward Nashville and Louisville for media, healthcare, business, education, and logistics careers.
Can I get in?
97.1% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
7,720About 97 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 1% submitted an SAT, and 3% submitted an ACT. Almost nobody admitted here sent a score, which leaves the SAT and ACT ranges standing on a handful of files.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Western Kentucky University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Western Kentucky University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Media and communication, education, business, health, sciences, and applied professional programs drive much undergraduate study.
Make institutional fit specific
WKU combines a regional public mission with visible strengths in broadcasting, journalism, business, education, nursing, and applied professional fields.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
BusinessAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
EngineeringAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Western Kentucky University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Admits separately
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Admits separately
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
What is campus life like?
Western Kentucky University beyond the classroom
Bowling Green campus rises dramatically on a central hill overlooking the city.
A defining academic feature
Media and communication, education, business, health, sciences, and applied professional programs drive much undergraduate study.
What shapes an ordinary week
Bowling Green campus rises dramatically on a central hill overlooking the city.
Where the degree can lead
Regional access extends toward Nashville and Louisville for media, healthcare, business, education, and logistics careers.