WKU vs. Youngstown State

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

 WKU Youngstown State
Location Bowling Green, KY Youngstown, OH
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 16,493 11,071
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875 #983
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu ysu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WKU Youngstown State
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $10,410
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $10,770
Room & Board $11,072 $10,016
Avg Net Price $12,625 $11,900
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $7,631
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 93%

Admission

 WKU Youngstown State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 7,481
Admitted 7,276 6,030
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 80.6%Open
Enrolled % 37.9% 26.9%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.51
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 18/24
SAT Range 980/1170 830/1160
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 WKU Youngstown State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)

Outcomes

 WKU Youngstown State
Graduation Rate 50% 35%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $37,700
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $250 $279

Diversity

 WKU Youngstown State
% Men 37% 43%
% Women 63% 57%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 76%
% Black 10% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 WKU Youngstown State
% In-State 70% 76%
% Out-of-State 29% 15%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Kentucky University is larger than than Youngstown State based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 11,071 students)

WKU vs. Youngstown State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WKU or Youngstown State?

  • Western Kentucky University is 6.7% more expensive to attend than Youngstown State for in-state tuition ($11,112.00 vs. $10,410.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 150.7% higher at WKU than Youngstown State University ($27,000.00 vs. $10,770.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Youngstown State University than WKU ($11,900 vs. $12,625)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Youngstown State University are 10.5% lower than costs at Western Kentucky University ($10,016 vs. $11,072)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Youngstown State University (99% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Western Kentucky University students is 34.5% larger than aid received Youngstown State University ($10,260 vs. $7,631)

WKU vs. Youngstown State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 66 points higher than at Youngstown State (981)
  • Incoming WKU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Youngstown State (21)
  • Accepted freshman Youngstown State students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.51) than students at WKU (3.42)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Youngstown State (80.6%)

WKU vs. Youngstown State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU or Youngstown 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 Youngstown State and WKU.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Youngstown State University (50% vs. 35%)
  • Graduates from Youngstown State University earn on average $600 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($37,700 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Youngstown State graduates. ($24,250 vs. $27,000)
  • WKU graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Youngstown State graduates. ($250 vs. $279)
  • More WKU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Youngstown State students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 36%)

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