West Virginia University (WVU) vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

West Virginia University (WVU) and Western Kentucky University (WKU) are two public universities located in the eastern and southern United States, respectively. Both institutions offer a wide range of academic programs, vibrant campus life, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. However, there are some key differences between the two universities that prospective students should consider when making their college decision. These differences include acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. To help you make an informed choice, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights the key differences between WVU and WKU. Explore the table to find the university that best aligns with your academic goals, personal preferences, and future aspirations.

	West Virginia University	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Morgantown, West Virginia	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.8%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1030 - 1230	N/A
ACT range	21 - 27	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	38.0%
Total number of applicants	17,074	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	15,336	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,313	2,832
Yield rate	28.1%	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	In state: $21,756 Out of state: $38,100	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$13,422	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $8,976 Out of state: $25,320	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,184 Meal plan: $5,504	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)	89.0% Average amount $10,867	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $5,294	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $16,332	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,599 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	5,875 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	55.3%	N/A
International students	5.3%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	6,956	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	West Virginia Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland Ohio	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	63.9%	53.6%
Dropout rate	11.3%	22.1%
Transferred out	22.5%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $112,323 Year 2: $125,015 Year 3: $143,709 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,140 Year 2: $118,155 Year 3: $119,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,573 Year 2: $94,763 Year 3: $96,536 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,732 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $91,425 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,711 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $82,001 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,468 Year 2: $61,303 Year 3: $79,782 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,292 Year 2: $68,047 Year 3: $77,798 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,506 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $77,273 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,040 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $76,205 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,477 Year 2: $66,069 Year 3: $76,022	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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West Virginia University (WVU) vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

West Virginia University

Western Kentucky University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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