Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College vs. WKU

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

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
Location Saint Mary of the Woods, IN Bowling Green, KY
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 1,227 16,759
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #784 #968
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smwc.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
Tuition (In State) $31,990 $11,436
Tuition (Out of State) $31,990 $27,000
Room & Board $13,010 $12,043
Avg Net Price $18,470 $12,054
Avg Grant Aid $28,765 $10,906
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,182 7,720
Admitted 900 7,492
Acceptance Rate 76.1% 97%
Enrolled % 23.4% 37.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.35 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 15/18 16/20
SAT Range 875/1070 820/1010
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, 2026

Academics

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (26%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
Graduation Rate 57% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,300 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,999 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $279 $250

Diversity

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
% Men 3% 4%
% Women 23% 9%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 76%
% Black 5% 10%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 15% 1%

Students

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College WKU
% In-State 71% 70%
% Out-of-State 28% 29%

Campus

 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College 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 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College based on total student enrollment (16,759 students vs. 1,227 students)

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College or WKU?

  • Saint Mary of the Woods College is 179.7% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($31,990.00 vs. $11,436.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.5% higher at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College than Western Kentucky University ($31,990.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College ($12,054 vs. $18,470)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Kentucky University are 8% lower than costs at Saint Mary of the Woods College ($12,043 vs. $13,010)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary of the Woods College than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary of the Woods College students is 163.8% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($28,765 vs. $10,906)

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 95 points higher than at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (952)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (21)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (3.35)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (76.1%)

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College 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 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is higher than Western Kentucky University (57% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Western Kentucky University earn on average $4,800 more per year than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College graduates after ten years. ($37,100 vs. $32,300)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $2,749 lower median federal student loan debt than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College graduates. ($24,250 vs. $26,999)
  • WKU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College graduates. ($250 vs. $279)
  • More WKU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 47%)

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