by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Western Kentucky University, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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The total cost of attendance at Western Kentucky University came in between $23,520.00 and up to $38,868.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: near $23,520.00 for in-state students versus $38,868.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $11,652.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,868.00 |
| Total cost | $23,520.00 |
| That is 22% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,520.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,198.00 |
| Net price | $10,322.00 |
| That is 46% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,520.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$17,101.00 |
| Net price | $6,419.00 |
| That is 67% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $27,000.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,868.00 |
| Total cost | $38,868.00 |
| That is 102% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $38,868.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,198.00 |
| Net price | $25,670.00 |
| That is 33% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $38,868.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$17,101.00 |
| Net price | $21,767.00 |
| That is 13% above the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into the tuition & fees page plus living costs. |
The projections below extend the current annual cost across a degree. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $6,419.00 | $10,322.00 | $23,520.00 |
| Senior year | $6,419.00 | $10,322.00 | $23,520.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $25,676.00 | $41,288.00 | $94,080.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,782.00 | $15,729.00 | $35,841.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $295.00 | $475.00 | $1,083.00 |
| Total amount paid | $35,458.00 | $57,017.00 | $129,921.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $6,419.00 | $10,322.00 | $23,520.00 |
| Senior year | $6,419.00 | $10,322.00 | $23,520.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $12,838.00 | $20,644.00 | $47,040.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,891.00 | $7,865.00 | $17,921.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $148.00 | $238.00 | $541.00 |
| Total amount paid | $17,729.00 | $28,509.00 | $64,961.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $21,767.00 | $25,670.00 | $38,868.00 |
| Senior year | $21,767.00 | $25,670.00 | $38,868.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $87,068.00 | $102,680.00 | $155,472.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $33,170.00 | $39,117.00 | $59,229.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,002.00 | $1,182.00 | $1,789.00 |
| Total amount paid | $120,238.00 | $141,797.00 | $214,701.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $21,767.00 | $25,670.00 | $38,868.00 |
| Senior year | $21,767.00 | $25,670.00 | $38,868.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $43,534.00 | $51,340.00 | $77,736.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,585.00 | $19,559.00 | $29,615.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $501.00 | $591.00 | $895.00 |
| Total amount paid | $60,119.00 | $70,899.00 | $107,351.00 |
| See the full net-price breakdown in the net price section below. |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $10,990.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $10,916.00 |
What families actually pay shifts with income, since need-based grants are larger for lower-income students. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $10,075.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $16,624.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,417.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,219.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $18,601.00 |
Run your own numbers with the [Western Kentucky University Net Price Calculator](https://tcc.ruffalonl.com/Western Kentucky University/Freshman-Students), or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Western Kentucky University is $14,702.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,007.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,702.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $39,000.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,250.00 |
| Middle income | $14,750.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,611.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,737.00 |
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of Western Kentucky University works out to $2,500.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The federal default-rate tier for Western Kentucky University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 10.1% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Western Kentucky University add up to $1,314,402,172.00 spread across 58,897 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 221 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,199.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 229 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,465.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the college veterans page.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Western Kentucky University, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.