Western Kentucky University (WKU) vs University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM)

Western Kentucky University and University of Louisiana at Monroe, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Kentucky University, nestled in Bowling Green, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic aspirations. In contrast, University of Louisiana at Monroe, located in Monroe, Louisiana, maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Western Kentucky University excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, University of Louisiana at Monroe shines in programs such as engineering, aviation, and construction. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional academic offerings, to determine which university aligns best with your unique goals and preferences.

	University of Louisiana at Monroe	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Monroe, Louisiana	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	69.0%	73.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	69.9%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $20	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1060 - 1270	N/A
ACT range	19 - 24	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%
Students submitting ACT score	93.0%
Total number of applicants	4,945	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	3,456	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,140	2,832
Yield rate	33.0%	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: $25,480 Out of state: $37,580	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$10,408	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $5,788 Out of state: $17,888	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	$9,390	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)	97.0% Average amount $12,205	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $4,798	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $7,783	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,728 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	1,990 Men 24.0% Women 76.0%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	5.9%	N/A
International students	3.3%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,257	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Texas Arkansas Alabama California	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Psychology Liberal Arts	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	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	53.5%	53.6%
Dropout rate	42.8%	22.1%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $116,918 Year 2: $121,641 Year 3: $123,213 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,154 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $81,735 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,387 Year 2: $71,351 Year 3: $73,506 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,673 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $63,630 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,967 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,790 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,010 Year 2: $55,770 Year 3: $55,505 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $53,499 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,120 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $52,793 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,354 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $50,536 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,454 Year 2: $31,042 Year 3: $41,661	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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