East Carolina University vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

East Carolina University (ECU) and Western Kentucky University (WKU) are two public universities located in the southeastern United States, offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities. While both universities share some similarities, there are also several key differences between them. ECU has a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to WKU (68%), and its student body is slightly larger, with over 27,000 undergraduate students enrolled compared to WKU's 20,000. ECU also offers a wider variety of undergraduate majors, with over 100 programs to choose from, while WKU offers around 80. Additionally, ECU has a higher graduation rate (62%) compared to WKU (58%). To help you make an informed decision about which university is the best fit for you, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights the key differences between ECU and WKU. Explore the table to learn more about the acceptance rates, popular
East Carolina University logo

East Carolina University

Western Kentucky University logo

Western Kentucky University

Overview

Location Greenville, North Carolina Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting City: Small 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 81.0% 73.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 93.9% 98.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $65
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 21,898 7,255
Total number of admissions given out 20,560 7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,100 2,832
Yield rate 19.9% 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: $23,215

Out of state: $39,492
In state: $27,895

Out of state: $43,903
Average net price $14,762 $12,395
Tuition
In state: $4,452

Out of state: $20,729
In state: $10,992

Out of state: $27,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,630

Meal plan: $4,060
Room/dormitory: $6,744

Meal plan: $3,964
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

63.0%
Average amount $7,761
98.0%
Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan 51.0%
Average amount $5,180
47.0%
Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $14,093
5.0%
Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 22,463
Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
14,729
Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students 5,558
Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
2,021
Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 13.6% N/A
International students 0.8% 1.1%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,203 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 Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania New York Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 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 65.8% 53.6%
Dropout rate 8.3% 22.1%
Transferred out 24.1% 22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,089
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $156,994
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,084
  • Year 2: $98,551
  • Year 3: $99,673
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,078
  • Year 2: $86,590
  • Year 3: $95,227
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,013
  • Year 2: $78,719
  • Year 3: $81,578
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,120
  • Year 2: $66,653
  • Year 3: $80,376
Finance and Financial Management Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $70,471
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,817
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $69,508
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,622
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $69,466
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,056
  • Year 2: $58,447
  • Year 3: $68,486
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,979
  • Year 2: $55,840
  • Year 3: $68,003
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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