IU Northwest vs. WKU

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

 IU Northwest WKU
Location Gary, IN Bowling Green, KY
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 3,198 16,493
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #882 #875
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iun.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Northwest WKU
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $11,112
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $27,000
Room & Board $9,412 $11,072
Avg Net Price $6,553 $12,625
Avg Grant Aid $8,754 $10,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 99%

Admission

 IU Northwest WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,915 7,505
Admitted 1,538 7,276
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 96.9%
Enrolled % 27.3% 37.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.14 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 18/25
SAT Range 950/1170 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, 2025

Academics

 IU Northwest WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 IU Northwest WKU
Graduation Rate 23% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,500 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,030 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $258 $250

Diversity

 IU Northwest WKU
% Men 25% 37%
% Women 75% 63%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 76%
% Black 18% 10%
% Hispanic 20% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 IU Northwest WKU
% In-State 97% 70%
% Out-of-State 2% 29%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than IU Northwest based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 3,198 students)

IU Northwest vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU Northwest or WKU?

  • Western Kentucky University is 52.8% more expensive to attend than IU Northwest for in-state tuition ($11,112.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.9% higher at WKU than Indiana University Northwest ($27,000.00 vs. $20,634.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Northwest than WKU ($6,553 vs. $12,625)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Northwest are 17.6% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($9,412 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Indiana University Northwest (99% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 17.2% larger than aid received Indiana University Northwest ($10,260 vs. $8,754)

IU Northwest vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 119 points higher than at IU Northwest (928)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at IU Northwest (20)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at IU Northwest (3.14)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than IU Northwest (80.3%)

IU Northwest vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU Northwest 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 IU Northwest.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Indiana University Northwest (50% vs. 23%)
  • Graduates from Indiana University Northwest earn on average $2,400 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($39,500 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $780 lower median federal student loan debt than IU Northwest graduates. ($24,250 vs. $25,030)
  • WKU graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than IU Northwest graduates. ($250 vs. $258)
  • More WKU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU Northwest students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 33%)

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