WKU vs. Bluefield College

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

 WKU Bluefield College
Location Bowling Green, KY Bluefield, VA
Setting Small City Remote Town
Enrollment 16,759 989
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #968
Religious Affiliation - Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu bluefield.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WKU Bluefield College
Tuition (In State) $11,436 $27,876
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $27,876
Room & Board $12,043 $9,814
Avg Net Price $12,054 $22,191
Avg Grant Aid $10,906 $19,288
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

 WKU Bluefield College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,720 1,057
Admitted 7,492 663
Acceptance Rate 97% 62.7%
Enrolled % 37.7% 27.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/20
SAT Range 820/1010
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026

Academics

 WKU Bluefield College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (42%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 WKU Bluefield College
Graduation Rate 50% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $20,834
Median Loan Payment $250 $215

Diversity

 WKU Bluefield College
% Men 4% 9%
% Women 9% 21%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 65%
% Black 10% 22%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 WKU Bluefield College
% In-State 70% 66%
% Out-of-State 29% 33%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than Bluefield College based on total student enrollment (16,759 students vs. 989 students)

WKU vs. Bluefield College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Bluefield College?

  • Bluefield College is 143.8% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($27,876.00 vs. $11,436.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.2% higher at Bluefield College than Western Kentucky University ($27,876.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Bluefield College ($12,054 vs. $22,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield College are 22.7% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($9,814 vs. $12,043)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University as Bluefield College (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bluefield College students is 76.9% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($19,288 vs. $10,906)

WKU vs. Bluefield College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 124 points higher than at Bluefield College (923)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Bluefield College (20)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Bluefield College (3.31)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than Bluefield College (62.7%)

WKU vs. Bluefield College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Bluefield College? 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 Bluefield College and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Bluefield College (50% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from Bluefield College earn on average $8,600 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($45,700 vs. $37,100)
  • Bluefield College students graduate with a $3,416 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($20,834 vs. $24,250)
  • Bluefield College graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($215 vs. $250)
  • More Bluefield College 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/