WKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph

Should I go to Western Kentucky University or College of Mount St. Joseph? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WKU or College of Mount St. Joseph 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Eastern Murray State University Kentucky Louisville UTC NKU University of Southern Indiana Middle Tennessee State University Austin Peay State University KSU University of Missouri-St Louis ETSU
Western Kentucky University vs. College of Mount St. Joseph comparison
Western Kentucky University College of Mount St. Joseph College 3 College 4
Western Kentucky University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Location Bowling Green, KY Cincinnati, OH
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,493 2,027
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #470
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu msj.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $33,750
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $33,750
Room & Board $11,072 $10,650
Avg Net Price $12,625 $17,506
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $25,149
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 2,127
Admitted 7,276 1,156
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 54.3%
Enrolled % 37.9% 25.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/25 21/27
SAT Range 980/1170 1068/1233
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 College of Mount St. Joseph
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Graduation Rate 50% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $250 $289

Diversity

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
% Men 37% 37%
% Women 63% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 78%
% Black 10% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 WKU College of Mount St. Joseph
% In-State 70% 74%
% Out-of-State 29% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than College of Mount St. Joseph based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 2,027 students)

WKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or College of Mount St. Joseph?

  • College of Mount St. Joseph is 203.7% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($33,750.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25% higher at College of Mount St. Joseph than Western Kentucky University ($33,750.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than College of Mount St. Joseph ($12,625 vs. $17,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of Mount St. Joseph are 4% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($10,650 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of Mount St. Joseph than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of Mount St. Joseph students is 145.1% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($25,149 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman College of Mount St. Joseph students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than College of Mount St. Joseph (54.3%)

WKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or College of Mount St. Joseph? 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 College of Mount St. Joseph and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at College of Mount St. Joseph is higher than Western Kentucky University (59% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from College of Mount St. Joseph earn on average $7,600 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($44,700 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than College of Mount St. Joseph graduates. ($24,250 vs. $28,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than College of Mount St. Joseph graduates. ($250 vs. $289)
  • More College of Mount St. Joseph graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 47%)

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