WKU vs. Defiance College

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

WKU Defiance College
Location Bowling Green, KY Defiance, OH
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,493 540
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #875
Religious Affiliation - United Church of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu defiance.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WKU Defiance College
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $34,556
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $34,556
Room & Board $11,072 $10,940
Avg Net Price $12,625 $23,196
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $24,970
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

WKU Defiance College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 2,722
Admitted 7,276 1,711
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 62.9%
Enrolled % 37.9% 8.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.12
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/25 17/23
SAT Range 980/1170 860/1110
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 Defiance College
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%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

WKU Defiance College
Graduation Rate 50% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $250 $279

Diversity

WKU Defiance College
% Men 37% 60%
% Women 63% 40%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 80%
% Black 10% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

WKU Defiance College
% In-State 70% 66%
% Out-of-State 29% 31%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than Defiance College based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 540 students)

WKU vs. Defiance College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Defiance College?

  • Defiance College is 211% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($34,556.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28% higher at Defiance College than Western Kentucky University ($34,556.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Defiance College ($12,625 vs. $23,196)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Defiance College are 1.2% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($10,940 vs. $11,072)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University as Defiance College (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Defiance College students is 143.4% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($24,970 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Defiance College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 63 points higher than at Defiance College (984)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Defiance College (22)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.3 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Defiance College (3.12)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Defiance College (62.9%)

WKU vs. Defiance College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Defiance 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 Defiance College and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at Defiance College is higher than Western Kentucky University (51% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Defiance College earn on average $6,600 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Defiance College graduates. ($24,250 vs. $27,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Defiance College graduates. ($250 vs. $279)
  • More Defiance College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 47%)

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