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Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Black Pinpoint Potter Hall 117 1906 College Heights Blvd. | Bowling Green, KY | 42101-1020

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01. Overview

02. Rankings

Rankings and Lists

Ribbon icon

Best Northeast
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Green Colleges
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The Best 389 Colleges

03. Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Applicants Icon
Applicants
7,650
Acceptance Icon
Acceptance Rate
97%
GPA Icon
Average HS GPA
3.49

Deadlines

Regular
August 1

SAT & ACT Test Scores

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

Calendar Icon
25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
470 - 580

SAT Math

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
440 - 570

SAT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
920 - 1040

ACT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
18 - 25

What would you score on the digital SAT today?

Take an SAT Practice Test

Testing Policies

Superscore ACT
No
Superscore SAT
No
Standardized testing policy for
use in admission:
Test Optional

Other Admission Factors Academic

Admission Factors Icon
Academic GPA

Selectivity

Admissions selectivity rating
74/99

4. Cost, Tuition, Expenses

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$27,000
Average Cost for Books and Supplies
$1,000
Tuition / Fees Vary by Year of Study
No
Board for Commuters
4690
Transportation for Commuters
$4,135
On-Campus Room and Board
12043
Approximate Expenses per year
$48,868

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See More Arrow Down

05. Academics

Student Faculty Icon
Student/Faculty
18.47 : 1
Acceptance Icon
Total Faculty
939
Terminal Degree Icon
Terminal Degree
564

Gender

Women
532
Men
407
Minority
159
International
1

Class/Lab sizes

Most frequent class size
10-19
Most frequent lab/sub section size
10-19

Rating

Graduation Rates

Graduate in 4 years
40%
Graduate in 5 years
51%
Graduate in 6 years
54%

University Degrees

Associate
Bachelor's
Certificate
Doctoral Other
Doctoral/Professional
Master's
Post-Bachelor's certificate
Post-Master's certificate

Prominent Alumni

Cordell Hull

Nobel Peace Prize winner, Secretary of State under FDR

Julian Goodman

Former NBC President

John Carpenter

Composer, Producer, and Screenwriter

Terry Wilcut

United States Astronaut

Claire Donahue

Swimmer, Gold Medalist, 2012 Summer Olympic Games

Rick Loomis

Award-winning Photojournalist and Documentary Filmmaker

Duncan Hines

Restaurant Critic and Entrepreneur

06. Student Body

Gender

61% female39% male

Out of State

28% are out
of state72% are
in-state

Students

77% are
full time23% are
part time

Student Body Profile

Total Undergraduate Enrollment
14,590
Foreign Countries Represented
45

Student Body Demographics

American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.28%
Asian
3.16%
Black
8.83%
Hispanic
5.96%
Caucasian
75.24%
Unknown
1.57%
International
0.67%

07. Mental Health

Wellness Program/Clinical Offerings

Institution has a mental health/wellness program that makes counseling, referral, and well-being services available to all students
Not Reported
Mental Health Website
Not Reported

Education & Training

Types of training available for students and faculty/staff
Program
Availability
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
Not Reported
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Not Reported
SafeTALK
Not Reported
Mental Health First Aid
Not Reported
Talk Saves Lives
Not Reported

Engaging the Whole Campus

Institution has a Chief Behavioral Health Officer (and/or Chief Wellness Officer)
Not Reported
Clinicians are trained to provide care to these specific groups:
Undergraduates
Graduate students
Racial/ethnic minority student
Students who are veterans
LGBTQIA+ students
Student-athletes
International students
Students on scholarship or financial aid
First-generation students

Peer-to-Peer

Institution has peer-to-peer offerings relating to mental health
Not Reported

Residential Life

Institution incorporates mental health and wellness into the residential experience
Not Reported

Student Orientation

Students who are provided an opportunity to participate in mental-health-orientation activities
First-year students
Not Reported
Incoming transfer students
else {
Not Reported
}
Returning students
Not Reported
Entering graduate students
Not Reported

Mental Health in the Curriculum

The institution offers for-credit mental health/well-being education for students
Not Reported
The institution offers non-credit mental health/well-being education for students
Not Reported

Off-Campus Offerings

Institution offers referrals to off-campus counseling services
Not Reported

Health and Counseling Center Accreditation

Institution's counseling center is accredited
Not Reported
Accrediting body
Not Reported

Taking and Returning from Medical Leave

Institution has an official support program in place for students returning from mental health leave of absence
Not Reported

Counseling Demand

Number of months a year counseling center is open and fully staffed
Not Reported

08. Campus Life

Fire safety rating
99%
Students
36%
First-Year Students
79%
Campus Environment
Suburban
Help finding off-campus housing
Yes

Most Popular Places On Campus

Downing Student Union

Preston Health and Activities Center

E.A. Diddle Arena

Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium

The WKU Commons at Helm Library

Please visit https://www.wku.edu/admissions/tours.php for further information and a virtual tour of the university.

Most Popular Places Off Campus

Mammoth Cave National Park

Bowling Green Ballpark - Home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods

National Corvette Museum and Motorsports Park

Lost River Cave and Valley

Beech Bend Amusement Park and Raceway

Located in the heart of Kentucky's third-largest city, our hilltop campus is a place of beauty and friendliness. Whether you're looking to explore the natural world, walk to a restaurant downtown, or catch a sporting event, Bowling Green has a variety of attractions for WKU students and their families to enjoy. Additionally, Bowling Green is located approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville, making it easy to travel to other regional destinations.

9. Campus Visits

Campus Visits Contact

Emma Watson
Specialist, Campus Visits and Events
Location Icon
Office of Admissions 1906 College Heights Blvd Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576
Phone icon
270-745-8878

Campus Tours

Campus Visiting Center

Monday - Friday and occasional Saturday

Calendar icon
9:30, 11:00, 1:30
Phone icon
270-745-8878

Campus Tours

Appointment Required:
Yes
Dates:
Year-round
Times:
Varies
Average Length:
Varies

Visits

CLASS VISITS

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year
Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

FACULTY AND COACH VISITS

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year
Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office
 

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews:
No
Information Sessions:
Available
Times:
Monday through Friday and occasional Saturdays

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Available
Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Campus Tours


TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO CAMPUS

Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee is 1 hour, 15 minutes from campus. Airport shuttle is available as well as limousine, car rental and taxi services. There is also a Greyhound bus line in Bowling Green.


DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO CAMPUS

DIRECTIONS FROM NORTH AND SOUTH I-65 1. Take Exit 26 off of Interstate 65. 2. Turn toward Bowling Green onto Cemetery Road. 3. Continue straight for three miles. Cemetery Road becomes Fairview Avenue. Continue going straight across 31-W Bypass. You will pass a fire station on your left. After passing the fire station, go through one traffic light and a stop sign, then turn left at the second stop sign onto College Street (this is a one-way street). 4. Stay on College Street through downtown Bowling Green and continue until you reach the top of the hill. College Street will dead-end at College Heights Boulevard at a statue of Henry Hardin Cherry. Turn right onto College Heights Boulevard at the stop sign and stay in the right-hand lane. 5. The next stop sign is College Heights Blvd. Turn right. 6. Turn right at the traffic light onto University Blvd. which becomes Kentucky Street. 7. Turn right onto Alumni Avenue. Welcome Center guests may park inside the Alumni Square Parking Garage.* 8. The Welcome Center is located next door inside the Eva and Jim Martens Alumni Center. *Buses may park in the Adams Street Lot, accessible from Kentucky Street.

LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS

Baymont Inn and Suites, Days Inn, Best Western, Drury Inn, Country Hearth Inn, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Microtel Inn, University Plaza Hotel, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Place.


10. Sports & Athletics

Icon

Athletic Division I

Participate in intercollegiate sports
3%

Men's Sports (Hilltoppers)

Icon
Basketball
Icon
Cross Country
Icon
Football
Icon
Golf
Icon
Track Field Indoor
Icon
Track Field Outdoor

Women's Sports (Hilltoppers)

Icon
Basketball
Icon
Cross Country
Icon
Golf
Icon
Soccer
Icon
Softball
Icon
Tennis
Icon
Track Field Indoor
Icon
Track Field Outdoor
Icon
Volleyball

11. Housing & Activities

Hosting Features

Icon
Apartment Single
Icon
Dorms Coed
Icon
Dorms Female
Icon
Dorms Male
Icon
Frat Sorority
Icon
International Student
Icon
Other
Icon
Theme Housing
Icon
Wellness Housing

Special Needs Admissions

Director
Dr. Peggy Crowe
College Entrance Tests Required
No
Interview Required
No

Student Activities

Registered Student Organizations
261
Number of Honor Societies
18
Number of Social Sororities
11
Number of Religious Organizations
23
Join a fraternity
18%
Join a sorority
16%

12. Student Services

Day Care
Health
Minority Support Groups
LGBT Support Groups

Military

Army ROTC Offered on-campus
Air Force ROTC Offered at cooperating institutions: Tennessee State University

Sustainability

School Has Formal Sustainability Committee
Yes
Sustainability-focused degree available
Yes
School employs a sustainability officer
Yes
Public GHG inventory plan
Yes

Green rating

91%

Food budget spent on local/organic food

15%

Available Transportation Alternatives

Bike Share
Checkmark icon
Car Sharing Program
Checkmark icon
School Adopted A Policy Prohibiting Idling
Checkmark icon
School Developed Bicycle Plan
Checkmark icon

CAMPUS SECURITY REPORT

The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.

Please visit The Princeton Review's page on campus safety for additional resources:

Visit Page
Warning Icon

The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/

Other Information

Campus-wide Internet Network
Checkmark icon
Fee for Network Use
X Mark icon
Partnerships with Technology Companies
X Mark icon
Personal computer included in tuition for each student
X Mark icon
Discounts Available with Hardware Vendors
Checkmark icon
Description Dell, Apple

13. Financial Aid

Dates

Icon
Notification DateMar 1

Required Forms

FAFSA

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$8,775
Average Undergraduate Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$8,563
Average Need-Based Loan
$3,823
Undergraduates who have borrowed through any loan program
55%
Average amount of loan debt per graduate
$27,348
Average amount of each freshman scholarship/grant package
$10,880
Financial aid provided to international students
Yes

Available Aid

Financial Aid Methodology
Scholarships and Grants

Need-Based Aid

01 - Need-Based College/University Scholarship or Grant Aid from Institutional Funds
02 - Need-Based Federal Pell
03 - Need-Based Private Scholarships
04 - Need-Based SEOG
05 - Need-Based State Scholarships
06 - Need-Based United Negro College Fund

Federal Direct Student Loan Programs

01 - Direct PLUS Loans
02 - Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
03 - Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
Is Institutional Employment Available (other than Federal Work Study)
Yes

14. Career Services & Jobs

Graduation Rates

Graduate in 4 years
40%
Graduate in 5 years
51%
Graduate in 6 years
54%

Career Services

01 - Alumni Network
02 - Alumni Services
03 - Classes
04 - Interest Inventory
05 - Internships
06 - Regional Alumni

Opportunities at School

01 - Coop
02 - Experiential
03 - Internship

15. Majors

Down Arrow Icon

01 AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS, AND RELATED SCIENCES.
  • Agriculture, General.
  • Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management.
  • Food Technology and Processing.
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02 ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES.
  • Architectural Technology/Technician.
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03 AREA, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, GENDER, AND GROUP STUDIES.
  • Asian Studies/Civilization.
  • Chinese Studies.
  • Deaf Studies.
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04 BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES.
  • Biochemistry.
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
  • Molecular Genetics.
Down Arrow Icon

05 BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES.
  • Accounting.
  • Business Administration and Management, General.
  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other.
  • Business/Managerial Economics.
  • Construction Management.
  • Finance, General.
  • Financial Planning and Services.
  • General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other.
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General.
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General.
  • Organizational Leadership.
  • Real Estate.
Down Arrow Icon

06 CITIZENSHIP ACTIVITIES.
  • Community Involvement.
Down Arrow Icon

07 COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
  • Advertising.
  • Broadcast Journalism.
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia.
  • Journalism.
  • Organizational Communication, General.
  • Photojournalism.
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
  • Public Relations/Image Management.
  • Radio and Television.
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric.
Down Arrow Icon

08 COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
  • Computer Science.
  • Information Technology.
Down Arrow Icon

09 EDUCATION.
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching.
  • Education, General.
  • Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision.
  • Educational/Instructional Technology.
  • Elementary Education and Teaching.
  • Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education.
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching.
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching.
  • Special Education and Teaching.
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels.
Down Arrow Icon

10 ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES AND ENGINEERING-RELATED FIELDS.
  • Industrial Technology/Technician.
  • Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician.
Down Arrow Icon

11 ENGINEERING.
  • Civil Engineering, General.
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering.
Down Arrow Icon

12 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS.
  • English Language and Literature, General.
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other.
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing.
Down Arrow Icon

13 FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES/HUMAN SCIENCES.
  • Apparel and Textiles, General.
  • Child Care Provider/Assistant.
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14 FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS.
  • Chinese Language and Literature.
  • Spanish Language and Literature.
Down Arrow Icon

15 HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist.
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General.
  • Community Health and Preventive Medicine.
  • Dental Hygiene/Hygienist.
  • Environmental Health.
  • Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other.
  • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator.
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management.
  • Medical Informatics.
  • Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene.
  • Public Health Education and Promotion.
  • Public Health, General.
  • Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing.
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse.
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16 HISTORY.
  • History, General.
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17 HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
  • Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management.
Down Arrow Icon

18 LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES.
  • Legal Assistant/Paralegal.
  • Pre-Law Studies.
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19 LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES.
  • General Studies.
Down Arrow Icon

20 MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS.
  • Mathematics, General.
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21 MILITARY SCIENCE, LEADERSHIP AND OPERATIONAL ART.
  • Army ROTC, Military Science and Operations, Other.
Down Arrow Icon

22 MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.
  • Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis.
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.
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23 NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION.
  • Environmental Studies.
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24 PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, AND FITNESS STUDIES.
  • Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
  • Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management, General.
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
  • Sports Studies.
Down Arrow Icon

25 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES.
  • Religion/Religious Studies.
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26 PHYSICAL SCIENCES.
  • Chemistry, General.
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other.
  • Geology/Earth Science, General.
  • Meteorology.
  • Physical Sciences.
  • Physics, General.
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27 PSYCHOLOGY.
  • Psychology, General.
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other.
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28 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS.
  • Social Work.
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29 SOCIAL SCIENCES.
  • Anthropology.
  • Criminology.
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.
  • Economics, General.
  • Geographic Information Science and Cartography.
  • International Relations and Affairs.
  • Political Science and Government, General.
  • Social Sciences, General.
  • Sociology.
Down Arrow Icon

30 VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS.
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation.
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production.
  • Dance, General.
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General.
  • Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other.
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General.
  • Game and Interactive Media Design.
  • Graphic Design.
  • Music Performance, General.
  • Music, Other.

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