Western Kentucky University

Masters Colleges and Universities

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2016 Undergraduate Tuition

$9,912

4.53% growth from 2015

2016 Average Net Price

$11,409

After Financial Aid

2015 Student Loan

9.53%

Default Rate

2016 Acceptance Rate

94%

9,693 Applicants

2016 Enrolled Students

20,271

69.9% Full-Time

2016 Graduation Rate

51.9%

1,289 Graduates

About

Costs

Admissions

Enrollment

Graduates

Operations

About

Western Kentucky University is a higher education institution located in Warren County, KY. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Western Kentucky University were General Studies (274 degrees awarded), Registered Nursing (196 degrees), and Elementary Education & Teaching (143 degrees).

In 2016, 4,267 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Western Kentucky University. 61.1% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 38.9% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (3,475 degrees), 10.8 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (322 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Western Kentucky University is $9,912, which is $-10,248 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,160).

Photo by Alex Proimos

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMasters Colleges and Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Western Kentucky University is $9,912, which is $-10,248 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,160).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $11,409.

In 2016, 70% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 45% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$9,912

2016 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2016, the cost of tuition at Western Kentucky University was $9,912. The cost of tuition at Western Kentucky University is $-10,248 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($20,160).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Western Kentucky University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

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Average Net Price

$11,409

2016 Value

7.25%

1 Year Growth

In 2016 Western Kentucky University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $11,409. Between 2015 and 2016, the average net price of Western Kentucky University grew by 7.25%.

This chart compares the average net price of Western Kentucky University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

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Other Student Expenses

$7,368

Room and Board

$1,000

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Western Kentucky University was of $7,368 in 2016. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 2.76% between 2015 and 2016. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Western Kentucky University (in red) with that of similar universities.

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Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

70%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

45%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

70% of undergraduate students at Western Kentucky University received grants or loans in 2016. This represents a decline of 5.41% with respect to 2015, when 74% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Western Kentucky University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

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Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

9.53%

2015 Default Rate

494

Number of Defaults

In 2015 the default rate for borrower's at Western Kentucky University was 9.53%, which represents 494 out of the 5184 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

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Admissions

Western Kentucky University received 9,693 undergraduate applications in 2016, which represents a 8.22% annual growth. Out of those 9,693 applicants, 9,113 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 94% acceptance rate.

There were 20,271 students enrolled at Western Kentucky University in 2016, and 8% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Western Kentucky University has an overall enrollment yield of 35%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

94%

Acceptance Rate in 2016

9,113

Accepted Out of 9,693

In 2016, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Western Kentucky University was 94% (9,113 admissions from 9,693 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2015, which was 92.7%. Between 2015 and 2016, the number of applicants grew by 8.22%, while admissions grew by 9.76%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Western Kentucky University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

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SAT Scores

8%

Submission Percentage

267

Scores Submitted

8% of enrolled first-time students at Western Kentucky University in 2016 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

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Enrollment

Western Kentucky University has a total enrollment of 20,271 students. The full-time enrollment at Western Kentucky University is 14,161 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,110. This means that 69.9% of students enrolled at Western Kentucky University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Western Kentucky University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 76.9% White, 8.72% Black or African American, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.8% Two or More Races, 1.46% Asian, 0.187% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.104% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Western Kentucky University in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Female (45%), followed by White Male (31.2%) and Black or African American Female (5.14%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority White Female (41.6%), followed by White Male (21.7%) and Black or African American Female (4.5%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

69.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Western Kentucky University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 20,271 students. The full-time enrollment at Western Kentucky University is 14,161 and the part-time enrollment is 6,110. This means that 69.9% of students enrolled at Western Kentucky University are enrolled full-time compared with 68.7% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Western Kentucky University (in red) compares to similar universities.

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Retention Rate over Time

73%

2016 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Western Kentucky University was 73%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (75%), Western Kentucky University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Western Kentucky University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    15,598

  2. Black or African American

    1,767

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    588

The enrolled student population at Western Kentucky University is 76.9% White, 8.72% Black or African American, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.8% Two or More Races, 1.46% Asian, 0.187% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.104% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 54.7% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.3% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 250 students (1.23%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2016, 951 more women than men received degrees from Western Kentucky University. The majority of degree recipients at Western Kentucky University are white (3,475 degrees awarded). There were 10.8 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (322 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Western Kentucky University is General Studies (274 degrees awarded), followed by Registered Nursing (196 degrees) and Elementary Education & Teaching (143 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Western Kentucky University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Library Science (28 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (280 degrees), and Agriculture (77 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Miscellaneous managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Miscellaneous managers (167,762 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (123,112 people), Marketing & sales managers (99,633 people), Sales representatives, wholesale & manufacturing (71,731 people), and Customer service representatives (59,288 people).

The most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Library Science (28 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (280 degrees), Agriculture (77 degrees), Communications (213 degrees), and Cultural & Gender Studies (26 degrees).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Chief executives & legislators

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Chief executives & legislators, Physicians & surgeons, Financial managers, Military, rank not specified, and Natural sciences managers

The most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Library Science (28 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (280 degrees), Agriculture (77 degrees), Communications (213 degrees), and Cultural & Gender Studies (26 degrees).

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Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Elementary & secondary schools (239,087 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (172,148 people), Hospitals (126,001 people), Insurance carriers & related activities (88,999 people), and Advertising, public relations & related services (83,313 people).

The most specialized majors at Western Kentucky University are Library Science (28 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (280 degrees), Agriculture (77 degrees), Communications (213 degrees), and Cultural & Gender Studies (26 degrees).

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Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Western Kentucky University.

Most Common

  1. General Studies

    274 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    196 degrees awarded

  3. Elementary Education & Teaching

    143 degrees awarded

In 2016, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Western Kentucky University was General Studies with 274 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree recipients from bachelors degree programs at Western Kentucky University according to their major.

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Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

Degrees Awarded to Men

  1. 1,658

  2. 2,609

In 2016, 1,658 degrees were awarded to men at Western Kentucky University, which is 0.635 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,609).

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Western Kentucky University by degrees awarded.

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2016, 125 degrees were awarded to men at Western Kentucky University in General Studies, which is 0.581 times less than the 215 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2016, 282 degrees were awarded to women at Western Kentucky University in Registered Nursing, which is 5.64 times more than the 50 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

27%

100% Completion Time

50%

150% Completion Time

In 2016, 27% of students graduating from Western Kentucky University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 50% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 54% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

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Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Hispanic or Latino Female

Highest Graduation Rate (60%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Western Kentucky University is Female and Hispanic or Latino (60% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (67.2%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.465% of graduates (6 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    3,475 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    322 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    78 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Western Kentucky University is white (3,475 degrees awarded). There were 10.8 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (322 degrees).

1.01% of degree recipients (43 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

  1. White Female

    2,184 degrees awarded

  2. White Male

    1,291 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American Female

    184 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Western Kentucky University is white female (2,184 degrees awarded). There were 1.69 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,291 degrees).

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Operations

Western Kentucky University has an endowment valued at nearly $15.8M, as of the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $243k (1.54%), compared to the 2.07% average return ($597k on $28.9M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2015, Western Kentucky University had a total expenditure of $342M. Of that $342M, they spent $148M on salaries and $342M on benefits.

Western Kentucky University employs 242 Associate professors, 180 Assistant professors, and 174 Professors. Most academics at Western Kentucky University are Male Associate professors (124), Female Associate professors(118), and Male Professors (114).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Western Kentucky University are: Office and Administrative Support, with 424 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 271 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 144 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$15.8M

2015 Endowment

0.934%

decline from 2014

Western Kentucky University has an endowment valued at about $15.8M, as of the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The endowment of Western Kentucky University declined 0.934% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $13M lower than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Western Kentucky University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

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Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

  1. $393k - Federal

  2. $76.3k - State

  3. $237k - Local

As of 2015, Western Kentucky University received $393k in grants and contracts from the federal government, $76.3k from state grants and contracts, and $237k from local grants and contracts.

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Expenses

Primary Expenses

Expenditure values can vary depending on whether the institution is public or private, and are not available for private-for-profit schools.

$148M

Salary Expenditure

$342M

Benefits Expenditure

In 2015, Western Kentucky University had a total expenditure of $342M. Of that $342M, they spent $148M on salaries and $342M on benefits.

The bar chart shows the share of the primary expenses at Western Kentucky University over time, and the line chart shows the expenditure for solely salaries and benefits over time compared to the median for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification grouping.

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Expenditure by Category

This tree map shows all of the primary expenses of Research at Western Kentucky University as a share of total expenditure.

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Salary Expenditure

$148M

2015 Salaries

0.422%

decline from 2014

In 2015, Western Kentucky University paid a median of $148M in salaries, which represents 43.1% of their overall expenditure ($342M) and a 0.422% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.66% growth from 2013 and a 1.88% growth from 2012.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 31.3M (42.2% of overall expenditures).

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Instructional Salaries

$50.9M

Instructional Salaries

776

Number of Employees

In 2015, Western Kentucky University paid a total of $50.9M to 776 employees working as instructors, which represents 34.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $9.7M (31%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

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Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

242 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

424 Employees

In 2016, the most common positions for instructional staff at Western Kentucky University were Associate professor with 242 employees; Assistant professor with 180 employees; and Assistant professor with 174 employees.

In 2016, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Western Kentucky University were Office and Administrative Support with 424 employees; Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 271 employees; and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 144 employees.

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Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

  1. Male Associate professor

  2. Female Associate professor

  3. Male Professor

In 2016, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Western Kentucky University was Male Associate professor with 124 employees, Female Associate professor with 118 employees, and Male Professor with 114 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Western Kentucky University.

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