Dominican vs. WKU

Should I go to Dominican University or Western Kentucky University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dominican 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.

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Dominican University vs. Western Kentucky University comparison
Dominican University Western Kentucky University College 3 College 4
Dominican University Western Kentucky University
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Overview

Dominican WKU
Location River Forest, IL Bowling Green, KY
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,196 16,493
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #551 #875
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dom.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dominican WKU
Tuition (In State) $35,850 $11,112
Tuition (Out of State) $35,850 $27,000
Room & Board $11,050 $11,072
Avg Net Price $18,162 $12,625
Avg Grant Aid $25,315 $10,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

Dominican WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,117 7,505
Admitted 4,581 7,276
Acceptance Rate 89.5% 96.9%
Enrolled % 13.1% 37.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 18/25
SAT Range 890/1140 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 31, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Dominican WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

Dominican WKU
Graduation Rate 63% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $258 $250

Diversity

Dominican WKU
% Men 26% 37%
% Women 74% 63%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 38% 76%
% Black 7% 10%
% Hispanic 48% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 3% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Dominican WKU
% In-State 90% 70%
% Out-of-State 9% 29%

Campus

Dominican WKU
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

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than Dominican based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 3,196 students)

Dominican vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dominican or WKU?

  • Dominican University is 222.6% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($35,850.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32.8% higher at Dominican than Western Kentucky University ($35,850.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Dominican ($12,625 vs. $18,162)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dominican University are 0.2% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($11,050 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dominican University than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dominican University students is 146.7% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($25,315 vs. $10,260)

Dominican vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 37 points higher than at Dominican (1010)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Dominican (22)
  • Accepted freshman Dominican students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Dominican (89.5%)

Dominican vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dominican 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 Dominican.

  • The graduation rate at Dominican is higher than Western Kentucky University (63% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Dominican University earn on average $10,900 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($48,000 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Dominican graduates. ($24,250 vs. $25,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Dominican graduates. ($250 vs. $258)
  • More Dominican graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 47%)

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