Western Kentucky University is a public, comprehensive university. Founded as a state Normal School in 1906, it gained university status in 1966. It offers highly-ranked academic programs, along with extracurriculars like forensics and athletics, for students who are serious about their education and who desire leadership development. Programs are offered through the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences; Ford College of Business; Ogden College of Science, Technology and Health; and Potter College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Its 200-acre main campus and 785-acre university farm are located in Bowling Green, 65 miles north of Nashville.

Read More
collegeType
Public
studentType
Coed
14,017
Undergraduates
5,327
Men - 38%
8,551
Women - 61%
Admissions iconAdmissions
See More
Admissions iconAdmissions
expand icon
Entrance Difficulty
Not reported
Overall Admission Rate
94% of 9,840 applicants were admitted
Early Action Offered
No
Early Decision Offered
No
Regular Admission Deadline
Rolling
Qualifications of Enrolled Freshmen
Average GPA
3.46
SAT Math
514 average
460-570 range of middle 50%
SAT EBRW
528 average
470-580 range of middle 50%
ACT Composite
22 average
18-25 range of middle 50%
Financials iconFinancials
See More
Financials iconFinancials
expand icon
Cost of Attendance
In-state: $26,166
Out-of-state: $41,094
Tuition and Fees
In-state: $12,072
Out-of-state: $27,000
Room and Board
$13,094
Average Percent of Need Met
20%
Average Freshman Award
$18,477
Average Indebtedness of 2024 Graduates
$23,332
Academics iconAcademics
See More
Academics iconAcademics
expand icon
Academic Calendar System
Semester
General Education/Core Curriculum
Required for most or all students
Full-Time Faculty Teaching Undergraduates
622
Regular Class Size (Students)
2-9
18%
10-19
28%
20-29
25%
30-39
16%
40-49
9%
50-99
4%
Over 100
1%
Campus life iconCampus Life
See More
Campus life iconCampus Life
expand icon
Bowling Green Population
61,488
Nearest Metropolitan Area
Nashville, TN
Freshman Housing Guarantee
College offers housing to students
Students in College Housing
35% of all students
Athletic Conferences
NCAA Division I
Mascot
Big Red
Sororities
16.8% of women participate
Fraternities
18% of men participate
Students iconStudents
See More
Students iconStudents
expand icon
Ethnicity of Students from U.S.
American Indian/Alaskan Native
0.2%
Asian
3.5%
Black/African-American
9%
Hispanic/Latino
6.6%
Multi-race (not Hispanic/Latino)
4.5%
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
0.1%
White
74.7%
Unknown
1.4%
International Students
0.5% from 50 countries
First-Year Students Returning
78.3%
Students Graduating Within 4 Years
44.3%
Graduates Offered Full-Time Employment Within 6 Months
Not reported
Graduates Pursuing Advanced Study Directly
Not reported
Undergraduate and Undergraduate Financial Aid data displayed on CollegeData’s college profiles is from the 2024-25 academic year.
A portion of the College Profile data is provided under license by:
Peterson's Undergraduate and Undergraduate Financial Aid Databases, copyright © 2025 Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.