College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Western Michigan University

MILarge public institution · Overall rank #353 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Western Michigan University #353 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Western Michigan University is a public university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Business and Engineering anchor the degree mix. Mobility is well above average.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model adds for the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment and the local labor market—and subtracts for what it cannot explain.

Pell recipients finish within a few points of the overall rate, and the lowest income band pays well below the published cost. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is wide, so the price a family sees depends heavily on income.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are in engineering, not business.

Western Michigan University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
84.6%
Six-year completion[2]
57.6%
Four-year earnings[3]
$62,885

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$13,833
Median student debt[4]
$26,188
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$22,488

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

Western Michigan University is a public university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, enrolling 12,568 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper third of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with mobility as the strongest of the four .

The university admits 84.6% of applicants, a rate above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 81.1% return for a second year, against a median of 83.1% for similar schools.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.6%, below the median of 65.0% for comparable institutions. An estimated 28.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes the first-time full-time cohort rather than the entire student body.

The four pillars sit close together. Mobility is the strongest, with access and return in the middle, and affordability the weakest.

The spread between them is narrow, so the composite reflects a fairly balanced profile rather than one dimension pulling far ahead of the others.

Azimuth ranks Western Michigan University's mobility pillar #284 nationally among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. That pillar reaches the 81st percentile, the university's strongest showing.

The access pillar lands in the 68th percentile, the return pillar in the 63rd percentile, and affordability in the 62nd percentile. Affordability is the weakest of the four, yet every pillar sits above the median among nonprofit four-year institutions.

At Western Michigan University, 26.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the federal aid measure Azimuth uses to gauge financial access at the university. Azimuth ranks Western Michigan University #467 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The access pillar combines the share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants with the six-year completion rate those students reach. Pell recipients finish at 55.4%, a figure that sits 2.2 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (57.6%) recorded for the first-time full-time cohort.

Azimuth ranks Western Michigan University #284 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students.

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

Western Michigan University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#353

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 81
Access & reach
National percentile: 68
Affordability
National percentile: 62
Return on investment
National percentile: 63

Top-ranked majors

  1. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology#5
  2. Air Transportation#7
  3. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions#8

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 Michigan University briefing

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

Western Michigan University publishes a cost of attendance of $29,237, with in-state tuition and fees at $15,252 and out-of-state at $19,034. Room and board adds $12,174 to the sticker total.

For the average aid recipient, the net price—what families pay after grants and scholarships—drops to $15,273, a savings of $13,964 against the published cost. That runs below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size), by a slim $361.

Azimuth ranks the university #541 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The net price sits near the middle of the pack, and the sticker-to-net gap shows that aid meaningfully reshapes the cost for recipients.

Western Michigan University publishes a cost of attendance of $29,237, with in-state tuition and fees at $15,252 and room and board at $12,174. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $5,263; for the middle band, families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $13,833; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $23,625.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,362. Azimuth ranks the university #541 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $13,964, leaving an average net price of $15,273 across all aid recipients. That figure sits below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $361.

Out-of-state students face a higher published tuition of $19,034, which shifts the starting point for aid calculations. Graduates who borrow federal loans leave with a median federal student debt of $26,188, above the peer median of $20,076 by $6,112.

About 91.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month if repaid over ten years.

Parents who take out Parent PLUS loans borrow a median of $22,488.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$13,833

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Western Michigan University

Borrowers who complete a degree at Western Michigan University leave with a median of $26,188 in federal student loans. If repaid over ten years, that median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month.

Federal borrowing is widespread: 91.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. The university's median debt sits $6,112 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,488 in Parent PLUS loans.

Graduates of Western Michigan University earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion are $62,885, which falls in the 60th percentile nationally.

That is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,725. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $46,735 and an upside scenario of $85,703, with the typical scenario matching the median earnings figure above.

For borrowers, the median federal student debt at completion is $26,188, which is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month if repaid over ten years.

Earnings that beat the model alongside debt that runs above the peer median make the return picture mixed.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $22,488. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $298.

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

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$26,188
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$22,488

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

Estimated student payment · monthly
$298/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$286/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 Michigan University briefing

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

Graduates of Western Michigan University earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,433.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,722. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $984.

Four years after completion, the median earnings of Western Michigan University completers who are working and not enrolled is $62,885, which sits in the 60th percentile. That figure is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $2,725.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 63rd percentile nationally. The earnings beyond expectations and a median that trails the peer group pull in different directions, making the return picture mixed.

Four years after completing a degree at Western Michigan University, the median earnings among the 5,263 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled is $62,885. That figure sits below the median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), and places the university in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that ranks in the 65th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $46,735 and an upside scenario reaching $85,703.

An estimated 25.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings picture is mixed: the median sits below the mark for comparable institutions, yet graduates outpace the model's expectation.

The downside and upside scenarios show a wide spread, reflecting the range of program outcomes at a university where the largest degree families are Business, Health Professions, and Engineering.

Four years after completion, Western Michigan University graduates earn a median of $62,885, which places the university in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,725.

Graduates earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 65th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,433.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,722. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $984.

Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $46,735 and an upside of $85,703, with a typical scenario of $62,885. Azimuth ranks the university #537 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The largest program, Marketing, awarded 277 degrees and shows median earnings of $71,371 four years after completion, ranking #62 nationally and #2 in Michigan. Air Transportation is the highest-earning large program, with 214 degrees awarded and median earnings of $89,564.

It ranks #7 nationally and #1 in Michigan. The highest-earning program overall, Paper Science and Engineering, reaches $102,825 from a small cohort of 15 degrees awarded.

The university also has a high-return program in Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, which earns $64,679 and ranks #5 nationally, at 1.28x the national median for its field.

The earnings scenarios at Western Michigan University span from a downside of $46,735 to an upside of $85,703 four years after completion, with the typical scenario at $62,885. That spread reflects the variation across the university's 54 programs with published earnings data.

The highest-earning fields show the upper end of the range: Paper Science and Engineering completers earn a median of $102,825, Electrical Engineering graduates reach $95,469, and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering completers earn $94,177.

Graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $62,885 four years after completion, which is $2,725 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students.

The earnings picture is tempered by the debt side. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,188 in federal student loans, which is $6,112 above the peer median of $20,076.

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month. The average net price for aid recipients is $15,273, which is $361 below the peer median.

The spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $18,362, with families earning under $30,000 paying an average of $5,263 and those earning over $110,000 paying $23,625. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $22,488.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$7,433
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$4,722
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$2,711

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 Michigan University briefing

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

Western Michigan University admits 84.6% of applicants, a rate that signals broad access rather than a narrow gate. The median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size) sits a few points lower, so the university's door is open wider than most of its peers'.

Admissions
Admission rate
84.6%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / Western Michigan University briefing

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

Western Michigan University's largest programs span fields with markedly different earnings four years after completion. Air Transportation, with 214 degrees awarded, shows a median of $89,564 and an Azimuth national rank of #7 in its field, the best in Michigan.

Marketing and Business Administration and Management, the two largest programs by degrees awarded, reach $71,371 and $75,143 respectively, with national ranks of #62 and #114. In contrast, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies reports a median of $54,597 on 175 degrees awarded, ranking #57 nationally.

The spread between the highest- and lowest-earning large programs reflects the range of fields the university serves, from technical disciplines to broader liberal-arts and interdisciplinary study.

Western Michigan University publishes earnings data for 54 bachelor's programs, 42 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The strongest-ranked program is Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, which ranks #5 nationally and #1 in Michigan.

The largest program, Marketing, awarded 277 degrees, ranks #62 nationally, and shows a median of $71,371. Air Transportation, with 214 degrees awarded, ranks #7 nationally and reports a median of $89,564.

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions ranks #8 nationally, awarded 65 degrees, and its completers earn a median of $68,351. Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations awarded 29 degrees, ranks #11 nationally, and shows a median of $46,543.

Western Michigan University awards bachelor's degrees across a wide set of fields, with 42 programs earning an Azimuth national rank and 54 carrying published four-year earnings data. The degree mix is led by the Business family, which accounts for 25.9% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 9.1% and Engineering at 7.6%.

Across all fields, 16.0% of degrees are in STEM. The largest single program is Marketing, at 277 degrees awarded, with Business Administration and Management at 239 and Air Transportation at 214.

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology is the highest-ranked program, and its graduates earn a median of $64,679 four years after completion. Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations ranks #11 nationally within its field and #3 in Michigan, with 29 degrees awarded.

The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Paper Science and Engineering graduates earn $102,825, from 15 degrees awarded. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology stands out for its return profile, with a benchmark ratio of 1.28x against the national median for its field and median earnings of $64,679.

The pattern here is one of strength spread across professional and technical fields rather than concentrated in a single department. The largest programs in business and aviation carry solid national ranks, while the highest earnings come from a handful of engineering specialties and a niche industrial science program.

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions ranks #2 in Michigan within its field and carries a benchmark ratio well above the field median. Its national rank is #8.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Marketing 277 degrees awarded
$71,371
Business Administration, Management and Operations 239 degrees awarded
$75,143
Air Transportation 214 degrees awarded
$89,564
Finance and Financial Management Services 194 degrees awarded
$72,353
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 175 degrees awarded
$54,597
Accounting and Related Services 172 degrees awarded
$66,666

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 Michigan University briefing

How does Western Michigan University serve students from different backgrounds?

Mobility is the strongest pillar for Western Michigan University, with Azimuth placing the university in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.6%; Pell recipients finish at 55.4%, a rate 2.2 percentage points below the overall figure.

Graduates earn about $2,711 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 65th percentile. The mobility picture is mixed: that earnings result coincides with an overall six-year rate that trails the peer median of 65.0%, the middle value for comparable institutions.

Western Michigan University enrolls 12,568 undergraduates and admits 84.6% of applicants, a rate above the peer median of 78.1% for comparable public universities. Pell Grant recipients make up 26.8% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 28.2% of undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / Western Michigan University briefing

What colleges are similar to Western Michigan 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 Michigan University.

Admissions peerCentral Michigan University89.8% admitted
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$61,298-$1,587 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$17,597+$2,324 vs Western Michigan University · higher cost
Admission rate84.6%89.8%
Explore Central Michigan University →
Higher-admission alternativeDavenport University97.8% admitted
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversityDavenport University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$69,009+$6,124 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$17,707+$2,434 vs Western Michigan University · higher cost
Admission rate84.6%97.8%
Nearby alternativeCentral Michigan UniversityNearby option · MI
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$61,298-$1,587 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$17,597+$2,324 vs Western Michigan University · higher cost
Admission rate84.6%89.8%
Explore Central Michigan University →
Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversitySan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$89,614+$26,729 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$13,760-$1,513 vs Western Michigan University · lower cost
Admission rate84.6%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Lower-cost alternativeFerris State University$8,624 average net price
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversityFerris State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$64,721+$1,836 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$8,624-$6,649 vs Western Michigan University · lower cost
Admission rate84.6%91.4%
Explore Ferris State University →
Similar profileMinnesota State University-MankatoMatched across several measures
Comparison with Western Michigan University
MeasureWestern Michigan UniversityMinnesota State University-Mankato
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,885$64,235+$1,350 vs Western Michigan University
Average annual net price$15,273$19,139+$3,866 vs Western Michigan University · higher cost
Admission rate84.6%88.4%
Explore Minnesota State University-Mankato →

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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. 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