WKU vs. Wright State University-Lake Campus

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

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Location Bowling Green, KY Celina, OH
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,759 1,398
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #968 #1036
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu wright.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Tuition (In State) $11,436 $7,454
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $16,872
Room & Board $12,043 $11,100
Avg Net Price $12,054 $12,039
Avg Grant Aid $10,906 $4,103
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 87%

Admission

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,720 -
Admitted 7,492 -
Acceptance Rate 97% Open
Enrolled % 37.7% Open
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.27
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/20 18/24
SAT Range 820/1010 790/890
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026 Aug 26, 2026

Academics

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (40%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (4%)

Outcomes

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Graduation Rate 50% 30%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $43,400
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $250 $258

Diversity

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
% Men 4% 13%
% Women 9% 17%
Racial Diversity Low Extremely Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 90%
% Black 10% 4%
% Hispanic 3% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
% In-State 70% 97%
% Out-of-State 29% 2%

Campus

WKU Wright State University-Lake Campus
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than Wright State University-Lake Campus based on total student enrollment (16,759 students vs. 1,398 students)

WKU vs. Wright State University-Lake Campus Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Wright State University-Lake Campus?

  • Western Kentucky University is 53.4% more expensive to attend than Wright State University-Lake Campus for in-state tuition ($11,436.00 vs. $7,454.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 60% higher at WKU than Wright State University Lake Campus ($27,000.00 vs. $16,872.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wright State University Lake Campus than WKU ($12,039 vs. $12,054)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wright State University Lake Campus are 8.5% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($11,100 vs. $12,043)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Wright State University Lake Campus (99% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 165.8% larger than aid received Wright State University Lake Campus ($10,906 vs. $4,103)

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 78 points higher than at Wright State University-Lake Campus (969)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Wright State University-Lake Campus (21)
  • Accepted freshman WKU students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Wright State University-Lake Campus (3.27)

WKU vs. Wright State University-Lake Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Wright State University-Lake Campus? 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 Wright State University-Lake Campus and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Wright State University Lake Campus (50% vs. 30%)
  • Graduates from Wright State University Lake Campus earn on average $6,300 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($43,400 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Wright State University-Lake Campus graduates. ($24,250 vs. $25,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Wright State University-Lake Campus graduates. ($250 vs. $258)
  • More Wright State University-Lake Campus graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 47%)

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