UALR vs. WKU

Should I go to University of Arkansas at Little Rock or Western Kentucky University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UALR 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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University of Arkansas at Little Rock vs. Western Kentucky University comparison
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Western Kentucky University College 3 College 4
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Western Kentucky University
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Overview

 UALR WKU
Location Little Rock, AR Bowling Green, KY
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 8,158 16,759
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #782 #968
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu wku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UALR WKU
Tuition (In State) $5,818 $11,436
Tuition (Out of State) $16,573 $27,000
Room & Board $9,352 $12,043
Avg Net Price $11,225 $12,054
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $10,906
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 99%

Admission

 UALR WKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,661 7,720
Admitted 2,114 7,492
Acceptance Rate 57.7% 97%
Enrolled % 22.6% 37.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/23 16/20
SAT Range 890/1170 820/1010
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2026 Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 UALR WKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 UALR WKU
Graduation Rate 21% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $24,250
Median Loan Payment $211 $250

Diversity

 UALR WKU
% Men 12% 4%
% Women 17% 9%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 76%
% Black 27% 10%
% Hispanic 7% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 3%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 UALR WKU
% In-State 91% 70%
% Out-of-State 9% 29%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (16,759 students vs. 8,158 students)

UALR vs. WKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or WKU?

  • Western Kentucky University is 96.6% more expensive to attend than UALR for in-state tuition ($11,436.00 vs. $5,818.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.9% higher at WKU than University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($27,000.00 vs. $16,573.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than WKU ($11,225 vs. $12,054)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 28.8% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($9,352 vs. $12,043)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (99% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 9.4% larger than aid received University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($10,906 vs. $9,968)

UALR vs. WKU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 57 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman UALR students have at the same average high school GPA (3.42) as students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than UALR (57.7%)

UALR vs. WKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UALR 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 UALR.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (50% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from University of Arkansas at Little Rock earn on average $900 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($38,000 vs. $37,100)
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($20,500 vs. $24,250)
  • UALR graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($211 vs. $250)
  • More UALR graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 47%)

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