App State vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian State University and Western Kentucky University stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in several key aspects. Appalachian State boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. Western Kentucky University, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong focus on student retention and completion. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, including popular majors, student body demographics, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and rewarding college journey.

	Appalachian State University	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Boone, North Carolina	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.7%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1130 - 1300	N/A
ACT range	24 - 29	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%
Students submitting ACT score	23.0%
Total number of applicants	21,120	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	17,886	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,099	2,832
Yield rate	22.9%	39.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,220 Out of state: $37,827	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$12,735	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $4,242 Out of state: $19,849	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,595 Meal plan: $4,086	Room/dormitory: $6,744 Meal plan: $3,964
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Other alternative tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $7,652	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,054	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,285	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,555 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	2,086 Men 29.6% Women 70.4%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	10.5%	N/A
International students	0.5%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,971	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina South Carolina Virginia Georgia Florida	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts Public Administration and Social Service	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.7%	53.6%
Dropout rate	7.6%	22.1%
Transferred out	18.3%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,824 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $79,392 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $70,638 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,462 Year 2: $54,382 Year 3: $67,337 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,036 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $65,634 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,587 Year 2: $49,084 Year 3: $63,376 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,322 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $60,614 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,088 Year 2: $44,989 Year 3: $59,659 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,199 Year 2: $54,296 Year 3: $59,624 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,623 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $58,316 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,799 Year 2: $54,635 Year 3: $57,400	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,015 Year 2: $86,696 Year 3: $95,431 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,960 Year 2: $76,998 Year 3: $77,293 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,199 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $77,197 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,704 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,358 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,193 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $66,850 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,992 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $65,815 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,607 Year 2: $61,144 Year 3: $65,553 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,759 Year 2: $51,551 Year 3: $57,443 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,729 Year 2: $52,897 Year 3: $56,104 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,172 Year 2: $56,281 Year 3: $55,609

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App State vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Appalachian State University

Western Kentucky University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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