Mars Hill University vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Mars Hill University and Western Kentucky University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to students with diverse aspirations. Mars Hill, a private university nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, boasts a close-knit community and a strong liberal arts foundation. In contrast, Western Kentucky University, a public research university located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, along with a vibrant campus life. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Mars Hill University	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Mars Hill, North Carolina	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	74.0%	73.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.5%	98.5%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	1,713	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	1,362	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	302	2,832
Yield rate	22.2%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$45,251	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$18,717	$12,395
Tuition	$35,655	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	$9,934	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)	99.0% Average amount $27,309	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	74.0% Average amount $5,350	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $14,231	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,026 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	47 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	40.0%	N/A
International students	5.3%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	839	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina Georgia Florida South Carolina Tennessee	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences Public Administration and Social Service	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	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	33.5%	53.6%
Dropout rate	37.9%	22.1%
Transferred out	28.6%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $40,958 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,795 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,962 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,637 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $36,750 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,437 Year 3: $36,608 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,048 Year 2: $33,726 Year 3: $36,441 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,836 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,645 Year 2: N/A 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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Mars Hill University vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Mars Hill University

Western Kentucky University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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