Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky · Also known as WKU, HILLTOPPERS · Website
$43,889
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,889
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Western Kentucky University is a public 4-year college in Bowling Green, Kentucky with 12,155 undergraduates and 2,140 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $10,990 a year (tuition and fees $11,652 in-state, $27,000 out-of-state). It admits 94% of applicants and 56% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $43,889 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,095 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$10,990
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$11,652
Out-of-state $27,000
Admission rate
94%
US median 78%
Completion rate
56%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,095
About $234 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,889
Rank 2,136 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $10,990
- Tuition in-state
- $11,652
- Tuition out-of-state
- $27,000
- Cost of attendance
- $24,188
- Students with a need-based grant
- 30%
- Students with federal loans
- 35%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,087
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $6,871
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $9,765
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,049
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,653
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $9,482 in 2015-16 to $11,652 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 94%
- Average SAT
- 971
- Undergraduates
- 12,155
- Graduate students
- 2,140
- Part-time students
- 8.7%
- Women
- 61%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 56%
- Retention rate
- 78%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 202
- Endowment
- $19.1M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,136 of 5,094 US colleges and 20 of 70 in Kentucky (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KY median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $10,990 | $16,512 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $11,652 | $11,652 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 94% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 56% | 53% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 78% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,095 | $13,521 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,156 | $31,816 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,889 | $36,235 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 47% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 65% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
202 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 182 | $20,820 | $44,498 | $59,362 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $22,647 | $68,294 | $73,496 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 160 | $25,269 | $64,836 | $69,436 | $103,485 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 151 | $26,000 | $35,746 | $46,583 | $53,072 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 131 | $22,168 | $37,288 | $38,656 | $47,382 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 123 | $22,870 | $25,858 | $54,396 | $54,562 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 122 | $22,337 | $25,936 | $44,848 | $50,706 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 96 | $11,395 | $64,845 | $75,959 | $80,813 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 86 | $21,500 | $42,478 | $60,222 | $69,303 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesMaster's | Master's | 84 | $42,706 | $54,058 | $55,249 | $67,030 |
| Data AnalyticsOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 80 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| CriminologyOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 80 | $25,815 | $32,370 | $45,124 | $55,556 |
| Social WorkOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $21,827 | $34,748 | $48,771 | $51,790 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $25,000 | $35,534 | $53,839 | $63,560 |
| Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $22,500 | $38,804 | $51,065 | $53,676 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $20,822 | $29,945 | $52,487 | $57,214 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $19,500 | $44,355 | $70,313 | $83,343 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 62 | $30,207 | $45,211 | $49,133 | $59,916 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 56 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,760 | $47,440 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $22,772 | $50,104 | $71,274 | $76,194 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 53 | $18,836 | $48,863 | $73,300 | $92,374 |
| Social WorkOnlineMaster's | Master's | 52 | $24,648 | $44,263 | $56,628 | $65,123 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $27,000 | $44,516 | $60,103 | $58,716 |
| JournalismBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $23,250 | $35,050 | $47,661 | $56,278 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 49 | $15,303 | Withheld | $45,877 | $44,125 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Bowling Green and Kentucky on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kentucky
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kentucky
Questions and answers
How much does Western Kentucky University cost?
$10,990 a year is the average net price at Western Kentucky University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $11,652 for in-state students and $27,000 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $24,188. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,087 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Kentucky University?
94% of applicants are admitted to Western Kentucky University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 971. The median admission rate of colleges in Kentucky is 81%.
How much do Western Kentucky University graduates earn?
$43,889 a year is the median pay of former Western Kentucky University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,156 after 6 years). That ranks 2,136 of 5,094 US colleges and 20 of 70 in Kentucky. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $103,023.
How much student debt do Western Kentucky University graduates have?
$22,095 is the median federal student loan debt of Western Kentucky University graduates, about $234 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 35% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Western Kentucky University?
56% of first-time, full-time students at Western Kentucky University finish within 6 years. 78% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Western Kentucky University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (182 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (169 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (160 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 202 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.