Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1000
270-745-0111
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1906 by Henry Hardin Cherry. The university enrolls about 20,000 students from all over the world. The campus covers more than 700 acres (2.8 km2) and includes several buildings, such as the Kentucky Museum, the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, the Gordon Ford College of Business, the Van Meter Library, and the Snell Hall dormitory. WKU offers more than 100 undergraduate programs and over 60 graduate programs. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
WKU's athletic teams, the Hilltoppers, compete in Division I of the NCAA and are members of Conference USA. The men's basketball team has won 16 conference championships and has made six NCAA tournament appearances. The women's basketball team has won 11 conference championships and has made seven NCAA tournament appearances. The football team has won two conference championships and has made one bowl appearance.
The university's marching band, the Big Red, is the largest student organization on campus. The band performs at all home football games and at various other events throughout the year.
WKU is a member of the Kentucky State University System.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 17517
Acceptance Rate: 97.75%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.wku.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.wku.edu/financialaid/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $23932
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $39626
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Western Kentucky University is $94910.75. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Western Kentucky University. For graduates of Western Kentucky University, we saw an average early-career income of $43200.00 and mid-career income of $63400.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.