Kentucky Wesleyan College vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Kentucky Wesleyan College and Western Kentucky University, both esteemed institutions 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 Western Kentucky, 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 to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and successful college journey.

	Kentucky Wesleyan College	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Owensboro, Kentucky	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	67.2%	98.5%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	920 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	19 - 24	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	73.0%
Total number of applicants	1,361	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	915	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	204	2,832
Yield rate	22.3%	39.6%
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: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$22,351	$12,395
Tuition	$28,400	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	$10,850	Room/dormitory: $6,744 Meal plan: $3,964
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,522	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $7,311	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $10,099	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	811 Men 53.3% Women 46.7%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	N/A	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.6%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	499	4,942
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	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Physical Science Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	18:1
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%	53.6%
Dropout rate	18.2%	22.1%
Transferred out	35.4%	22.9%
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: $76,015 Year 2: $86,696 Year 3: $95,431 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,960 Year 2: $76,998 Year 3: $77,293 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,199 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $77,197 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,704 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,358 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,193 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $66,850 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,992 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $65,815 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,607 Year 2: $61,144 Year 3: $65,553 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,759 Year 2: $51,551 Year 3: $57,443 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,729 Year 2: $52,897 Year 3: $56,104 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,172 Year 2: $56,281 Year 3: $55,609

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