Western Kentucky University (WKU) vs Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Western Kentucky University (WKU) and Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (SAU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics. WKU, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to SAU, which is situated in Magnolia, Arkansas. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, WKU excels in fields like business, education, and health professions, while SAU is known for its strengths in agriculture, business, and nursing. Additionally, WKU's student body is more racially and ethnically diverse than SAU's, and its graduation rate is slightly higher. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Magnolia, Arkansas	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	64.0%	73.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	62.6%	98.5%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	930 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%
Students submitting ACT score	100.0%
Total number of applicants	2,813	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	1,761	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	632	2,832
Yield rate	35.9%	39.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,411 Out of state: $31,631	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$14,141	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $6,750 Out of state: $11,970	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,340 Meal plan: $3,444	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)	98.0% Average amount $8,861	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,247	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $8,817	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,160 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	1,274 Men 35.2% Women 64.8%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	28.0%	N/A
International students	7.5%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,032	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arkansas Texas Louisiana Oklahoma Alabama	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Education Business Computer and Information Science Agriculture	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.1%	53.6%
Dropout rate	23.3%	22.1%
Transferred out	35.5%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,230 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $70,408 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,929 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $62,262 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,925 Year 2: $42,458 Year 3: $42,763 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,784 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $38,968 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,986 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,029 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,781 Year 2: $33,565 Year 3: $33,986 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $28,923 Physics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,362 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,402 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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