by our College Data Analytics TeamWestern Kentucky University is a public institution in Bowling Green, Kentucky enrolling 12,155 undergraduates. It accepts 94% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 56%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,443 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 28%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Western Kentucky University ranks #1,443 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 28%.
In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.
Western Kentucky University was awarded 362 badges in the 2027 rankings.
WKU, HILLTOPPERS is ranked #1,443 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list.
WKU, HILLTOPPERS is also ranked #14 on the Best Colleges in Kentucky list.
See all of the rankings for Western Kentucky University.
With an acceptance rate of 94%, Western Kentucky University is easier to get into than many other schools. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your application. Make sure to treat this school like any other when submitting requested materials and documents.
About 3% of students accepted to WKU, HILLTOPPERS submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 420 and 530. Math scores were between 420 and 520.
WKU, HILLTOPPERS received ACT scores from 3% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 16 and 21.
Learn more about Western Kentucky University admissions.
At Western Kentucky University, the student to faculty ratio is 19 to 1. Compared to the national average of 15 to 1, this is somewhat high. This could mean that class sizes may be larger than they are at other colleges or universities or that professors may be required to teach more classes.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Western Kentucky University is 67%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
Western Kentucky University has a freshmen retention rate of 78%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At WKU, HILLTOPPERS the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 56%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Western Kentucky University.
During the most recent academic year, there were 12,155 undergraduates at WKU, HILLTOPPERS.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Western Kentucky University.
The typical net cost at WKU, HILLTOPPERS is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7,087 | $6,871 | $9,765 | $14,049 | $17,653 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of WKU, HILLTOPPERS, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
Almost 66% of college students who graduated with the class of 2018 took out student loans, but that percentage varies from school to school. At WKU, HILLTOPPERS, approximately 35% of students took out student loans averaging $6,495 a year. That adds up to $25,980 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 10.1%. This is about the same as the national default rate of 10.1%. Get more details about paying for Western Kentucky University.
The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University make about $43,889 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. This is about 11% less than the average pay for college graduates overall. However, graduates with your major may make more.
See which majors at Western Kentucky University make the most money.
Western Kentucky University is an public institution situated in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The surrounding area of the school is a good match for students who enjoy city life. Get more details about the location of Western Kentucky University.
Get in touch with Western Kentucky University can be found below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1000 |
| Phone: | 2707450111 |
| Website: | www.wku.edu |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Kentucky_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/WKUNews |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/wkunews |
During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 30 majors graduated from Western Kentucky University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 4,873 | NA |
| Business Administration & Management | 520 | $43,501 |
| Nursing | 310 | $56,607 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 308 | $28,590 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 255 | $35,539 |
| General Psychology | 179 | $26,711 |
| Data Analytics. | 168 | NA |
| Health & Physical Education | 164 | $26,359 |
| Social Work | 145 | $34,108 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 132 | $31,267 |
8,465 students took at least one online class at Western Kentucky University.
Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.
Learn more about online learning at Western Kentucky University.
Curious how schools stack up against WKU, HILLTOPPERS? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References