College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Western Kentucky University

KYLarge public institution · Overall rank #418 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places it in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions. Affordability is well above average, and mobility is well above average.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes that gap to the factors it measures, which adds to expected earnings, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them.

Return is modestly below average. Pell recipients complete at a rate below the entering cohort as a whole.

At the same time, what the lowest-income families pay after aid is well below the published cost, and affordability is well above average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller. The highest-earning program graduates earn considerably more than the largest program's graduates, from a fraction of the degrees awarded.

Western Kentucky University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
93.9%
Six-year completion[2]
55.6%
Four-year earnings[3]
$53,602

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$9,765
Median student debt[4]
$22,095
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$18,310

Western Kentucky University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, enrolling 12,155 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper third of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (72nd percentile).

The university is an open-access institution, admitting 93.9% of applicants, a rate well above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 78.3% return for a second year and 55.6% complete a degree within six years.

Both figures run below the peer medians of 83.1% and 65.0%, respectively. An estimated 21.4% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, and the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time cohort.

The four show a clear shape: affordability is the strongest (84th percentile) and return is the weakest (33rd percentile). Mobility and access sit between them (78th and 72nd percentiles), in a profile where the financial case is stronger than the raw earnings picture.

For families focused on cost, Western Kentucky University is strongest on affordability. Azimuth places affordability in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, followed by mobility at the 78th percentile and access at the 72nd percentile.

Return is the weakest pillar, in the 33rd percentile, so the overall picture favors cost and mobility more than graduate return.

Among enrolled students who submitted scores, the middle 50% of SAT results fell between 840 and 1,050, and ACT results between 16 and 21. Pell recipients make up 30.5% of undergraduates.

The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 40.3%, 15.3 percentage points below the rate for the cohort as a whole (55.6%). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks Western Kentucky University #415 for access.

Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth ranks the university #330 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Western Kentucky University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#418
Kentucky#5
South#149

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 78
Access & reach
National percentile: 72
Affordability
National percentile: 84
Return on investment
National percentile: 33

Top-ranked majors

  1. Architectural Sciences and Technology#12
  2. Agriculture, General#15
  3. Apparel and Textiles#32

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Western Kentucky University briefing

Western Kentucky University cost & financial aid[6][7]

Western Kentucky University stands out most on affordability: its average net price for aid recipients is $10,990, leaving a price below that of comparable institutions. means what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, not a personal quote or a guaranteed package.

The published cost of attendance is $24,188 (an average across living arrangements). Published in-state tuition and fees are $11,652, compared with $27,000 for out-of-state tuition and fees; room and board are $12,582.

These are sticker charges before aid, and the attendance budget can include costs beyond the tuition line. Aid reduces the published cost by an average of $13,198 for aid recipients.

The peer median net price, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, and Western Kentucky's average is $4,644 below it. Azimuth ranks Western Kentucky University #230 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower net price and affordability standing point in the same direction.

Western Kentucky University has an affordability picture that is strongest for lower-income aid recipients, although prices vary across family-income bands. Its published cost of attendance is $24,188 (an average across living arrangements).

The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $7,087 for families in the lowest family-income band; $6,871 in the next band; $9,765 in the middle band; $14,049 in the next-highest band; and $17,653 for families in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,566.

Azimuth ranks Western Kentucky University #230 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 55% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, with average aid savings of $13,198.

Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $10,990, which is $4,644 below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $15,634. Published in-state tuition and fees are $11,652, compared with out-of-state tuition and fees of $27,000; room and board is $12,582.

Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,095, and 83.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $2,019 above the $20,076 peer median federal debt for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $251 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $18,310.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$9,765

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Western Kentucky University

Federal borrowing reaches 83.3% of federal aid recipients at Western Kentucky University, making loan use common among the school’s undergraduate population. For federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,095.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $20,076, with Western Kentucky’s median above it by $2,019. Parent borrowers are a separate population, and their median Parent PLUS borrowing is $18,310.

The borrowing picture combines widespread federal loan use with a median debt level above that of comparable institutions.

Affordability is the strongest part of the financial picture at Western Kentucky University, while return measures are mixed. Median earnings are $53,602 four years after completion, placing the university in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions in Azimuth.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings scenarios range from $41,617 in a downside case to $72,183 in an upside case, with the typical scenario matching the observed median. Median federal student debt at completion is $22,095, above the $20,076 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $251 a month if repaid over ten years. The scenarios show a wide range, and debt sits above the peer median.

For parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $18,310. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $251 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$22,095
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$18,310

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$251/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$233/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Western Kentucky University briefing

Western Kentucky University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $53,602, at the 28th percentile. That is $12,008 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the university at the 33rd percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 44th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $7,249. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,130.

Western Kentucky University shows a restrained earnings picture: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $53,602 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 3,229 completers.

Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put typical earnings at $53,602, with a downside scenario of $41,617 and an upside scenario of $72,183.

An estimated 28.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings percentile and model comparison both point to a restrained overall outcome, even as modeled program paths differ.

Graduates of Western Kentucky University who are working and not enrolled earn $53,602 four years after completion, at the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $65,610, so the university sits $12,008 below that middle value for four-year earnings.

Azimuth ranks the university #979 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions nationally. Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students.

That result falls at the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions overall. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,249 to the overall gap.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,130 from the overall gap. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $203 against a broader degree mix that is not heavy in STEM or technical fields.

Four-year earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $41,617 on the downside to $72,183 on the upside for graduates. The typical earnings scenario for the program mix is $53,602.

An estimated 28.2% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the institution's overall program mix.

Program choice makes a wide difference in modeled earnings at Western Kentucky University. The downside scenario is $41,617 and the upside scenario is $72,183, representing earnings scenarios rather than observed groups.

The range is consistent with varied program outcomes four years after completion. Among the higher-earning fields, Mechanical Engineering completers have median earnings of $86,624, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians completers have $86,033, and Electrical Engineering completers have $85,772 four years after completion.

Those fields sit well above the downside scenario, showing why the program choice matters.

The price picture is comparatively low, but borrowing and earnings give a mixed return picture at Western Kentucky University. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,990 and sits below the $15,634 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Aid covers about 55% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,095, which is above the $20,076 peer median by $2,019.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $251 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students.

Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, have median borrowing of $18,310. The lower net price sits alongside higher peer debt and below-expected earnings, leaving the return picture mixed.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$7,249
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$10,130
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$2,881

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Western Kentucky University briefing

Western Kentucky University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Western Kentucky University admitted 93.9% of applicants in the reported entering-class cycle, indicating that most applicants received an offer. This rate was above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
93.9%
Approximate lower endpoint
840
Reported average
971
Approximate upper endpoint
1050

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Western Kentucky University briefing

What are the largest majors at Western Kentucky University?[12]

At Western Kentucky University, program choice makes the earnings picture uneven across several large fields. Nursing has median earnings of $73,496 four years after completion, with 170 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #293 nationally within its field.

Marketing records $60,222 and 136 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national rank of #148. Business Administration and Management posts $59,362 across 209 degrees awarded and ranks #258 nationally by Azimuth.

Teacher Education is lower at $38,656, with 131 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #226. The higher and moderate earning fields sit alongside a lower-earning education field, so program selection matters when reading the university's overall earnings.

Program-level rankings give Western Kentucky University a focused set of nationally placed fields, with earnings that differ across them. Azimuth identifies 35 nationally ranked bachelor’s fields at the university.

Azimuth ranks Architectural Sciences and Technology #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field; it awarded 22 degrees, and completers had median earnings of $71,240 four years after completion. Apparel and Textiles ranks #32 nationally through Azimuth in its field, with 40 degrees awarded and median earnings of $45,420 four years after completion.

Azimuth places Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at #39 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. 21 degrees were awarded, and median earnings were $57,958 four years after completion.

The figures show that strong field placements do not make earnings uniform across these programs.

The bachelor's degrees at Western Kentucky University are spread across a wide set of fields, with 46 programs reporting four-year earnings. The largest family is Business, which accounts for 20.3% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 12.2% and Social Sciences at 8.6%.

The single largest program is Business Administration and Management, awarding 209 degrees a year, with Nursing close behind at 170 degrees awarded and Liberal Arts and General Studies at 138. Azimuth ranks 35 of the university's programs nationally within their fields.

The strongest national ranks belong to programs outside the largest three. Architectural Sciences and Technology is the highest-ranked, at #12 nationally and #1 in Kentucky within its field, from 22 degrees awarded.

Agriculture ranks #15 nationally and #1 in Kentucky within its field, with 73 degrees awarded. Apparel and Textiles ranks #32 nationally and #2 in Kentucky within its field, awarding 40 degrees.

The highest-earning program is Mechanical Engineering, where graduates earn a median of $86,624 four years after completion, from 46 degrees awarded. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians follows at $86,033, with 37 degrees awarded.

The pattern is one of strength in smaller, specialized programs rather than in the largest majors. The highest-ranked fields—Architectural Sciences and Technology, Agriculture, and Apparel and Textiles—are not among the top three by size.

The highest-earning programs are in engineering, a family that accounts for a modest share of total degrees. Nursing, the second-largest program, also appears among the top earners at $73,496, so a large health professions presence coincides with solid earnings in that field. Across all fields, 11.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 209 degrees awarded
$59,362
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 170 degrees awarded
$73,496
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 138 degrees awarded
$46,583
Marketing 136 degrees awarded
$60,222
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 131 degrees awarded
$38,656
Psychology, General 118 degrees awarded
$44,848

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Western Kentucky University briefing

How does Western Kentucky University serve students from different backgrounds?

Western Kentucky University has a mobility profile that pairs a strong Azimuth standing with a clear completion gap between Pell recipients and the full cohort. Azimuth places its mobility pillar in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the first-time full-time cohort, the six-year graduation rate is 55.6%; Pell recipients complete at 40.3%, below the overall rate by 15.3 percentage points. Graduates earn about $2,881 less than the model expects for similar students.

Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Western Kentucky University combines broad admission with a sizable undergraduate population and a notable Pell Grant presence. It admits 93.9% of applicants and enrolls 12,155 undergraduates in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Pell Grant recipients account for 30.5% of undergraduates, and an estimated 21.4% enter after transferring. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / Western Kentucky University briefing

What colleges are similar to Western Kentucky University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Western Kentucky University.

Admissions peerSpalding University99.5% admitted
Comparison with Western Kentucky University
MeasureWestern Kentucky UniversitySpalding University
Peer earnings · 4 years$53,602$64,136+$10,534 vs Western Kentucky University
Average annual net price$10,990$25,491+$14,501 vs Western Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate93.9%99.5%
Nearby alternativeBrescia UniversityNearby option · KY
Comparison with Western Kentucky University
MeasureWestern Kentucky UniversityBrescia University
Peer earnings · 4 years$53,602$51,492-$2,110 vs Western Kentucky University
Average annual net price$10,990$8,709-$2,281 vs Western Kentucky University · lower cost
Admission rate93.9%35.2%
Higher-earnings alternativeSaint Mary's University of Minnesota$72,502 earnings
Comparison with Western Kentucky University
MeasureWestern Kentucky UniversitySaint Mary's University of Minnesota
Peer earnings · 4 years$53,602$72,502+$18,900 vs Western Kentucky University
Average annual net price$10,990$11,704+$714 vs Western Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate93.9%92.8%
Lower-cost alternativeBrescia University$8,709 average net price
Comparison with Western Kentucky University
MeasureWestern Kentucky UniversityBrescia University
Peer earnings · 4 years$53,602$51,492-$2,110 vs Western Kentucky University
Average annual net price$10,990$8,709-$2,281 vs Western Kentucky University · lower cost
Admission rate93.9%35.2%
Similar profileEastern Kentucky UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with Western Kentucky University
MeasureWestern Kentucky UniversityEastern Kentucky University
Peer earnings · 4 years$53,602$54,691+$1,089 vs Western Kentucky University
Average annual net price$10,990$11,040+$50 vs Western Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate93.9%77.6%
Explore Eastern Kentucky University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings