WKU vs. Tusculum College

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

WKU Tusculum College
Location Bowling Green, KY Greeneville, TN
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 16,493 1,303
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #1004
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu tusculum.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WKU Tusculum College
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $26,558
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $26,558
Room & Board $11,072 $10,042
Avg Net Price $12,625 $20,414
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $22,630
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

WKU Tusculum College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 1,369
Admitted 7,276 1,110
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 81.1%
Enrolled % 37.9% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.18
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 17/22
SAT Range 980/1170 910/1110
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 Tusculum College
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 (55%)
  • Education (31%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Biology (3%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (1%)

Outcomes

WKU Tusculum College
Graduation Rate 50% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $41,900
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $250 $279

Diversity

WKU Tusculum College
% Men 37% 48%
% Women 63% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 74%
% Black 10% 14%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 6% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

WKU Tusculum College
% In-State 70% 45%
% Out-of-State 29% 44%

Campus

WKU Tusculum 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 Tusculum College based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 1,303 students)

WKU vs. Tusculum College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Tusculum College?

  • Tusculum College is 139% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($26,558.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.7% higher at WKU than Tusculum College ($27,000.00 vs. $26,558.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Tusculum College ($12,625 vs. $20,414)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tusculum College are 10.3% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($10,042 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Tusculum College than Western Kentucky University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Tusculum College students is 120.6% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($22,630 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Tusculum College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 87 points higher than at Tusculum College (960)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Tusculum College (21)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Tusculum College (3.18)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Tusculum College (81.1%)

WKU vs. Tusculum College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Tusculum College (50% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from Tusculum College earn on average $4,800 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($41,900 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Tusculum College graduates. ($24,250 vs. $27,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Tusculum College graduates. ($250 vs. $279)
  • More Tusculum College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (52% vs. 47%)

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