WKU vs. Coastal Carolina

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

WKU Coastal Carolina
Location Bowling Green, KY Conway, SC
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 16,493 10,337
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #821
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu coastal.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WKU Coastal Carolina
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $11,460
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $28,310
Room & Board $11,072 $10,628
Avg Net Price $12,625 $14,016
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $10,610
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 88%

Admission

WKU Coastal Carolina
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 17,161
Admitted 7,276 13,493
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 78.6%
Enrolled % 37.9% 19.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.72
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 20/25
SAT Range 980/1170 1020/1190
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, 2025

Academics

WKU Coastal Carolina
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

WKU Coastal Carolina
Graduation Rate 50% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $24,930
Median Loan Payment $250 $257

Diversity

WKU Coastal Carolina
% Men 37% 45%
% Women 63% 55%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 68%
% Black 10% 20%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 6% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

WKU Coastal Carolina
% In-State 70% 31%
% Out-of-State 29% 68%

Campus

WKU Coastal Carolina
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 Coastal Carolina based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 10,337 students)

WKU vs. Coastal Carolina Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Coastal Carolina?

  • Coastal Carolina University is 3.1% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($11,460.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.9% higher at Coastal Carolina than Western Kentucky University ($28,310.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Coastal Carolina ($12,625 vs. $14,016)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Coastal Carolina University are 4.2% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($10,628 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Coastal Carolina University (99% vs. 88%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Coastal Carolina University students is 3.4% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($10,610 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Coastal Carolina Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 38 points higher than at Coastal Carolina (1009)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Coastal Carolina (22)
  • Accepted freshman Coastal Carolina students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Coastal Carolina (78.6%)

WKU vs. Coastal Carolina Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Coastal Carolina? 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 Coastal Carolina and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Coastal Carolina University (50% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Coastal Carolina University earn on average $5,100 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($42,200 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $680 lower median federal student loan debt than Coastal Carolina graduates. ($24,250 vs. $24,930)
  • WKU graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than Coastal Carolina graduates. ($250 vs. $257)
  • More Coastal Carolina graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 47%)

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