KWC vs. WMU

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

KWC WMU
Location Owensboro, KY Kalamazoo, MI
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 813 17,000
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #634
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website kwc.edu wmich.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

KWC WMU
Tuition (In State) $30,040 $14,523
Tuition (Out of State) $30,040 $18,154
Room & Board $11,175 $11,102
Avg Net Price $20,735 $20,030
Avg Grant Aid $20,036 $6,813
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 93%

Admission

KWC WMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,434 20,501
Admitted 983 17,334
Acceptance Rate 68.5% 84.6%
Enrolled % 22.4% 15.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/23 19/27
SAT Range 980/1210 990/1220
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

Academics

KWC WMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Engineering (6%)

Outcomes

KWC WMU
Graduation Rate 44% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,500 $48,900
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,907 $26,633
Median Loan Payment $236 $275

Diversity

KWC WMU
% Men 51% 47%
% Women 49% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 72%
% Black 15% 12%
% Hispanic 1% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

KWC WMU
% In-State 67% 79%
% Out-of-State 32% 19%

Campus

KWC WMU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Michigan University is larger than than KWC based on total student enrollment (17,000 students vs. 813 students)

KWC vs. WMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, KWC or WMU?

  • Kentucky Wesleyan College is 106.8% more expensive to attend than WMU for in-state tuition ($30,040.00 vs. $14,523.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.5% higher at KWC than Western Michigan University ($30,040.00 vs. $18,154.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Michigan University than KWC ($20,030 vs. $20,735)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Michigan University are 0.7% lower than costs at Kentucky Wesleyan College ($11,102 vs. $11,175)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kentucky Wesleyan College than Western Michigan University (100% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kentucky Wesleyan College students is 194.1% larger than aid received Western Michigan University ($20,036 vs. $6,813)

KWC vs. WMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Kentucky Wesleyan College (1048) is 18 points higher than at WMU (1030)
  • Incoming KWC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at WMU (22)
  • Accepted freshman WMU students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at KWC (3.3)
  • WMU has a higher acceptance rate (84.6%) than KWC (68.5%)

KWC vs. WMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, KWC or WMU? 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 WMU and KWC.

  • The graduation rate at WMU is higher than Kentucky Wesleyan College (56% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Western Michigan University earn on average $10,400 more per year than KWC graduates after ten years. ($48,900 vs. $38,500)
  • Kentucky Wesleyan College students graduate with a $3,726 lower median federal student loan debt than WMU graduates. ($22,907 vs. $26,633)
  • KWC graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than WMU graduates. ($236 vs. $275)
  • More WMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former KWC students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 54%)

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