KWC vs. WKU

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

 KWC WKU
Location Owensboro, KY Bowling Green, KY
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 813 16,493
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kwc.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 KWC WKU
Tuition (In State) $30,040 $11,112
Tuition (Out of State) $30,040 $27,000
Room & Board $11,175 $11,072
Avg Net Price $20,735 $12,625
Avg Grant Aid $20,036 $10,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

 KWC WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,434 7,505
Admitted 983 7,276
Acceptance Rate 68.5% 96.9%
Enrolled % 22.4% 37.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/23 18/25
SAT Range 980/1210 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

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

Outcomes

 KWC WKU
Graduation Rate 44% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,500 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,907 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $236 $250

Diversity

 KWC WKU
% Men 51% 37%
% Women 49% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 76%
% Black 15% 10%
% Hispanic 1% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 6%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

 KWC WKU
% In-State 67% 70%
% Out-of-State 32% 29%

Campus

 KWC 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 KWC based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 813 students)

KWC vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, KWC or WKU?

  • Kentucky Wesleyan College is 170.3% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($30,040.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at KWC than Western Kentucky University ($30,040.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than KWC ($12,625 vs. $20,735)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Kentucky University are 0.9% lower than costs at Kentucky Wesleyan College ($11,072 vs. $11,175)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kentucky Wesleyan College than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kentucky Wesleyan College students is 95.3% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($20,036 vs. $10,260)

KWC vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Kentucky Wesleyan College (1048) is 1 points higher than at WKU (1047)
  • Incoming KWC students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at WKU (23)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at KWC (3.3)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than KWC (68.5%)

KWC vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, KWC 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 KWC.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Kentucky Wesleyan College (50% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Kentucky Wesleyan College earn on average $1,400 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($38,500 vs. $37,100)
  • Kentucky Wesleyan College students graduate with a $1,343 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($22,907 vs. $24,250)
  • KWC graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($236 vs. $250)
  • More KWC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 47%)

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