KY State vs. WKU

Should I go to Kentucky State University or Western Kentucky University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if KY State or WKU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Kentucky State University vs. Western Kentucky University comparison
Kentucky State University Western Kentucky University College 3 College 4
Kentucky State University Western Kentucky University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

KY State WKU
Location Frankfort, KY Bowling Green, KY
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 1,726 16,493
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1014 #875
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kysu.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

KY State WKU
Tuition (In State) $7,854 $11,112
Tuition (Out of State) $11,732 $27,000
Room & Board $8,076 $11,072
Avg Net Price $11,473 $12,625
Avg Grant Aid $8,257 $10,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

KY State WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,870 7,505
Admitted 2,626 7,276
Acceptance Rate 91.5% 96.9%
Enrolled % 14.1% 37.9%
Avg High School GPA 2.72 3.42
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/20 18/25
SAT Range 783/978 980/1170
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2024

Academics

KY State WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

KY State WKU
Graduation Rate 21% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $31,000 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 24% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $29,000 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $299 $250

Diversity

KY State WKU
% Men 42% 37%
% Women 58% 63%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 27% 76%
% Black 57% 10%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

KY State WKU
% In-State 23% 70%
% Out-of-State 76% 29%

Campus

KY State WKU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than KY State based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 1,726 students)

KY State vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, KY State or WKU?

  • Western Kentucky University is 41.5% more expensive to attend than KY State for in-state tuition ($11,112.00 vs. $7,854.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 130.1% higher at WKU than Kentucky State University ($27,000.00 vs. $11,732.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Kentucky State University than WKU ($11,473 vs. $12,625)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kentucky State University are 37.1% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($8,076 vs. $11,072)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Kentucky State University as Western Kentucky University (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 24.3% larger than aid received Kentucky State University ($10,260 vs. $8,257)

KY State vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, KY State or WKU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between WKU or KY State .

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 116 points higher than at KY State (931)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at KY State (20)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.7 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at KY State (2.72)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than KY State (91.5%)

KY State vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, KY State or WKU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between WKU and KY State.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Kentucky State University (50% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from Western Kentucky University earn on average $6,100 more per year than KY State graduates after ten years. ($37,100 vs. $31,000)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $4,750 lower median federal student loan debt than KY State graduates. ($24,250 vs. $29,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than KY State graduates. ($250 vs. $299)
  • More WKU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former KY State students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 24%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/