Kentucky Wesleyan College vs Murray State

Kentucky Wesleyan College and Murray State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Kentucky, offer distinct educational experiences. Kentucky Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while Murray State, a public research university, offers a wider range of academic programs and opportunities for research. With different acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, these universities cater to diverse student populations and aspirations. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and successful college journey.

	Kentucky Wesleyan College	Murray State University
Overview
Location	Owensboro, Kentucky	Murray, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	55.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	67.2%	85.2%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40
SAT range	920 - 1140	960 - 1200
ACT range	19 - 24	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	73.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	1,361	9,144
Total number of admissions given out	915	7,787
Admitted students who chose to enroll	204	1,395
Yield rate	22.3%	17.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,070	In state: $26,219 Out of state: $35,495
Average net price	$22,351	$11,237
Tuition	$28,400	In state: $8,040 Out of state: $17,316
Room & board	$10,850	Room/dormitory: $5,538 Meal plan: $4,330
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,522	99.0% Average amount $11,753
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $7,311	47.0% Average amount $6,997
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $10,099	7.0% Average amount $10,075

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	811 Men 53.3% Women 46.7%	7,651 Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
Graduate students	N/A	1,763 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.6%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	499	3,064
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Georgia	Illinois Tennessee Indiana Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Physical Science Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Education Business Agriculture Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	45.9%	55.9%
Dropout rate	18.2%	42.8%
Transferred out	35.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,580 Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $162,817 Year 3: $178,780 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,792 Year 2: $79,473 Year 3: $88,757 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,448 Year 2: $66,969 Year 3: $69,761 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,888 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $66,008 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,643 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $65,410 Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,121 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $59,977 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,148 Year 2: $58,142 Year 3: $55,771 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,974 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $54,238 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,117 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $52,217 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,964 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $50,840

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