Kentucky Wesleyan College vs Northern Kentucky University (NKU)

Kentucky Wesleyan College and Northern Kentucky 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 and undergraduate research opportunities. Northern Kentucky University, a public research university, excels in providing a comprehensive range of academic programs, including graduate degrees, and is known for its strong connections to the local business community. While Kentucky Wesleyan has a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, it offers a higher graduation rate. Northern Kentucky University, with its larger student population, offers a more diverse range of majors and a vibrant campus life. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Kentucky Wesleyan College	Northern Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Owensboro, Kentucky	Highland Heights, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
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%	70.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	67.2%	80.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40
SAT range	920 - 1140	983 - 1210
ACT range	19 - 24	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	73.0%	84.0%
Total number of applicants	1,361	6,637
Total number of admissions given out	915	5,329
Admitted students who chose to enroll	204	1,690
Yield rate	22.3%	31.7%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,070	In state: $28,010 Out of state: $38,066
Average net price	$22,351	$7,443
Tuition	$28,400	In state: $10,008 Out of state: $20,064
Room & board	$10,850	$11,454
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 $10,343
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $7,311	43.0% Average amount $4,988
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $10,099	3.0% Average amount $10,090

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	811 Men 53.3% Women 46.7%	10,814 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students	N/A	5,165 Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.6%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	499	1,376
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	Ohio Indiana Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Physical Science Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	17:1
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%	47.8%
Dropout rate	18.2%	49.3%
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	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $98,497 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,665 Year 2: $90,245 Year 3: $95,400 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,690 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $91,600 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,069 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $79,768 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,058 Year 2: $67,420 Year 3: $74,689 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,266 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $72,692 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,922 Year 2: $59,071 Year 3: $66,724 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,135 Year 2: $59,534 Year 3: $65,990 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,914 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $62,291 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $41,900 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $61,904

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