MSU Bulldogs vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Mississippi State University and Western Kentucky University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Mississippi State, nestled in the heart of Starkville, Mississippi, boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating its selectivity in admissions. Western Kentucky University, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, welcomes a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of female students and a larger international student population. While Mississippi State excels in engineering and agriculture programs, Western Kentucky University shines in nursing and health professions. Both universities offer a vibrant campus life, with active student organizations and NCAA Division I sports teams. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mississippi State University	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Mississippi State, Mississippi	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.1%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1030 - 1280	N/A
ACT range	21 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%
Students submitting ACT score	91.0%
Total number of applicants	17,707	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	13,478	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,388	2,832
Yield rate	25.1%	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: $26,460 Out of state: $42,140	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$16,175	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $9,110 Out of state: $24,790	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,612 Meal plan: $4,200	Room/dormitory: $6,744 Meal plan: $3,964
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,948	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $5,388	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,099	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,584 Men 49.6% Women 50.4%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	4,502 Men 45.3% Women 54.7%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	41.2%	N/A
International students	3.4%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,333	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Tennessee Alabama Georgia Louisiana	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Education Business Agriculture Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	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	59.7%	53.6%
Dropout rate	38.5%	22.1%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,348 Year 2: $88,527 Year 3: $99,184 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $84,211 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $90,129 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,757 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $82,587 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,632 Year 2: $73,852 Year 3: $79,309 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,768 Year 2: $74,405 Year 3: $78,161 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,878 Year 2: $69,710 Year 3: $76,651 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,741 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,725 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,809 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $68,041 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,551 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $66,010 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,870 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $64,799	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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MSU Bulldogs vs Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Mississippi State University

Western Kentucky University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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