St. Catharine vs. WKU

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

 St. Catharine WKU
Location Saint Catharine, KY Bowling Green, KY
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 649 16,493
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sccky.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St. Catharine WKU
Tuition (In State) $19,732 $11,112
Tuition (Out of State) $19,732 $27,000
Room & Board $9,636 $11,072
Avg Net Price $24,513 $12,625
Avg Grant Aid $9,299 $10,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

 St. Catharine WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 462 7,505
Admitted 359 7,276
Acceptance Rate 77.7%Open 96.9%
Enrolled % 37.9%Open 37.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.1 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/22 18/25
SAT Range 880/1140 980/1170
Submit Test Scores Not applicable Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 St. Catharine WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 0:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 St. Catharine WKU
Graduation Rate - 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $33,000 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 49% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,975 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $206 $250

Diversity

 St. Catharine WKU
% Men 0% 37%
% Women 0% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 76%
% Black 11% 10%
% Hispanic 5% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 St. Catharine WKU
% In-State - 70%
% Out-of-State - 29%

Campus

 St. Catharine WKU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than St. Catharine based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 649 students)

St. Catharine vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Catharine or WKU?

  • Saint Catharine College is 77.6% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($19,732.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.8% higher at WKU than Saint Catharine College ($27,000.00 vs. $19,732.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than St. Catharine ($12,625 vs. $24,513)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Saint Catharine College are 14.9% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($9,636 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Catharine College than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 10.3% larger than aid received Saint Catharine College ($10,260 vs. $9,299)

St. Catharine vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 99 points higher than at St. Catharine (948)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at St. Catharine (20)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at St. Catharine (3.1)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than St. Catharine (77.7%)

St. Catharine vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Catharine 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 St. Catharine.

  • Graduates from Western Kentucky University earn on average $4,100 more per year than St. Catharine graduates after ten years. ($37,100 vs. $33,000)
  • Saint Catharine College students graduate with a $4,275 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($19,975 vs. $24,250)
  • St. Catharine graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($206 vs. $250)
  • More St. Catharine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (49% vs. 47%)

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