WKU vs. Texas State

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

WKU Texas State
Location Bowling Green, KY San Marcos, TX
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 16,493 38,171
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #667
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu txstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WKU Texas State
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $8,606
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $20,030
Room & Board $11,072 $11,460
Avg Net Price $12,625 $14,120
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $11,791
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 77%

Admission

WKU Texas State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 28,908
Admitted 7,276 25,353
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 87.7%
Enrolled % 37.9% 30%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.38
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 19/26
SAT Range 980/1170 980/1180
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 Jun 1, 2025

Academics

WKU Texas State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

WKU Texas State
Graduation Rate 50% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $49,200
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $21,250
Median Loan Payment $250 $219

Diversity

WKU Texas State
% Men 37% 40%
% Women 63% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 76% 49%
% Black 10% 9%
% Hispanic 3% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

WKU Texas State
% In-State 70% 97%
% Out-of-State 29% 2%

Campus

WKU Texas State
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

  • Texas State University is larger than than WKU based on total student enrollment (38,171 students vs. 16,493 students)

WKU vs. Texas State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Texas State?

  • Western Kentucky University is 29.1% more expensive to attend than Texas State for in-state tuition ($11,112.00 vs. $8,606.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.8% higher at WKU than Texas State University ($27,000.00 vs. $20,030.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Texas State ($12,625 vs. $14,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Kentucky University are 3.5% lower than costs at Texas State University ($11,072 vs. $11,460)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Texas State University (99% vs. 77%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Texas State University students is 14.9% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($11,791 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Texas State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 9 points higher than at Texas State (1038)
  • Incoming WKU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Texas State (23)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Texas State (3.38)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Texas State (87.7%)

WKU vs. Texas State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Texas State? 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 Texas State and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at Texas State is higher than Western Kentucky University (56% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Texas State University earn on average $12,100 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($49,200 vs. $37,100)
  • Texas State University students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than WKU graduates. ($21,250 vs. $24,250)
  • Texas State graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than WKU graduates. ($219 vs. $250)
  • More Texas State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 47%)

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