WKU vs. Washington State

Should I go to Western Kentucky University or Washington State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WKU or Washington State 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.
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Western Kentucky University vs. Washington State University comparison
Western Kentucky University Washington State University College 3 College 4
Western Kentucky University Washington State University
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Overview

 WKU Washington State
Location Bowling Green, KY Pullman, WA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 16,493 27,539
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #386
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu wsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WKU Washington State
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $10,708
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $26,392
Room & Board $11,072 $12,396
Avg Net Price $12,625 $17,911
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $10,689
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 83%

Admission

 WKU Washington State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 19,401
Admitted 7,276 16,123
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 83.1%
Enrolled % 37.9% 24.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 20/26
SAT Range 980/1170 1020/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2024 Jan 31, 2024

Academics

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

Outcomes

 WKU Washington State
Graduation Rate 50% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $54,400
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 71%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $20,429
Median Loan Payment $250 $211

Diversity

 WKU Washington State
% Men 37% 46%
% Women 63% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 63%
% Black 10% 3%
% Hispanic 3% 13%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 6% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 WKU Washington State
% In-State 70% 83%
% Out-of-State 29% 15%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Washington State University is larger than than WKU based on total student enrollment (27,539 students vs. 16,493 students)

WKU vs. Washington State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Washington State?

  • Western Kentucky University is 3.8% more expensive to attend than Washington State for in-state tuition ($11,112.00 vs. $10,708.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.3% higher at WKU than Washington State University ($27,000.00 vs. $26,392.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Washington State ($12,625 vs. $17,911)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Kentucky University are 12% lower than costs at Washington State University ($11,072 vs. $12,396)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Washington State University (99% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Washington State University students is 4.2% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($10,689 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Washington State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 8 points higher than at Washington State (1039)
  • Incoming WKU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Washington State (23)
  • Accepted freshman Washington State students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Washington State (83.1%)

WKU vs. Washington State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Washington State? 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 Washington State and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at Washington State is higher than Western Kentucky University (67% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Washington State University earn on average $17,300 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($54,400 vs. $37,100)
  • Washington State University students graduate with a $3,821 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($20,429 vs. $24,250)
  • Washington State graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($211 vs. $250)
  • More Washington State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 47%)

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