by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview covers the essential stats on Western Kentucky University Graduate School, including its rankings, graduate degree programs, diversity, and more. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
Each year, College Factual releases its Best Quality Schools ranking to identify graduate schools that offer a great educational experience and provide excellent student outcomes.These rankings are based on components such as post-graduation earnings of students, accumulated student debt of graduates, how much in demand the school is, and faculty and student diversity.
Western Kentucky University came in at #1,161 out of the 4,630 colleges and universities that were ranked in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Kentucky, WKU, HILLTOPPERS came in at #10.
There were 4,630 college and universities analyzed in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, and WKU, HILLTOPPERS took the #1,161 spot on the list.WKU, HILLTOPPERS also ranked #10 for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Kentucky.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingOut of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, WKU, HILLTOPPERS came in at #1,161. In addition, WKU, HILLTOPPERS took the #10 spot for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky.
WKU, HILLTOPPERS ranked #1,161 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. In addition, WKU, HILLTOPPERS took the #10 spot for Best Graduate Schools in Kentucky.
Around 2,140 graduate students chose to attend Western Kentucky University during the most recent year for which we have data.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Here is what we found.
Women make up 66.6% of the total graduate student body at WKU, HILLTOPPERS while men make up 33.4%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
About 18.4% of the graduate students who attend WKU, HILLTOPPERS are from a racial-ethnic minority group*.Americans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the graduate programs at WKU, HILLTOPPERS. Around 3.0% of graduate students are international.The following chart shows the distribution of racial-ethnic groups at the school. If you click on it, you’ll find more detailed information.
Data on the average tuition and fees for full-time graduate students at the school is not available.
The typical graduate student at WKU, HILLTOPPERS who borrowed carries a median debt of $24,535.
Master’s degree recipients from WKU, HILLTOPPERS earn an average early-career salary of $63,522.
Graduate students who earn their doctoral degree at WKU, HILLTOPPERS enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $78,113.
Post-master’s certificate recipients from WKU, HILLTOPPERS earn an average early-career salary of $51,583.
Yearly salaries vary depending on the field of study, but the table below shows the highest-earning graduate fields of study at WKU, HILLTOPPERS based on the early-career earnings of recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing | $105,170 |
| Business Administration & Management | $81,177 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | $78,113 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | $74,456 |
| Communication Sciences | $62,318 |
| Accounting | $59,931 |
| Recreation Administration | $57,103 |
| General Psychology | $55,008 |
| Library & Information Science | $53,352 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | $53,140 |
Western Kentucky University is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.The city atmosphere of Bowling Green makes it a great place for students who enjoy having lots of educational and entertainment options. Get more details about the location of Western Kentucky University.
Contact details for WKU, HILLTOPPERS are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1000 |
| Phone: | 270-745-0111 |
| Website: | www.wku.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/WKUNews |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/wkunews |
77.8% of the graduate students at WKU, HILLTOPPERS took at least one online course.Roughly 67.8% of all grad students took courses exclusively online.
Listed here are the degree programs in which the school awarded master’s degrees.
Just like the master’s degree programs, only programs that had doctorate degrees awarded are shown here.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 13 | — |
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 13 | — |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 4 | — |
| Data Analytics. | 12 | — |
| Dietetics & Nutrition Services | 2 | — |
| Ecology & Systematics Biology | 6 | — |
| Economics | 2 | — |
| General Biology | 2 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 7 | — |
| Homeland Security | 5 | — |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 5 | — |
| Public Administration | 1 | — |
| Public Health | 15 | — |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 9 | — |
| Recreation Administration | 7 | — |
| Security Science and Technology. | 4 | — |
| Special Education | 3 | — |
| Student Counseling | 4 | — |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 5 | — |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 11 | — |
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 1 | — |
| Nursing | 11 | — |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 27 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Western Kentucky University awarded a post-masters certificate.
| Post-Masters Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 15 | — |
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.
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