Western Kentucky University (WKU) vs Chico State

Western Kentucky University (WKU) and California State University-Chico (CSUC) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. WKU, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to CSUC's 79%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with WKU excelling in fields like nursing, education, and business, while CSUC shines in areas such as computer science, engineering, and biological sciences. WKU's student body is predominantly White (78%), while CSUC's student population is more diverse, with a significant Hispanic/Latino population (34%). In terms of graduation rates, CSUC has a slight edge over WKU, with a 6-year graduation rate of 62% compared to WKU's 59%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which

	California State University-Chico	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Chico, California	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	85.5%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	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	19,990	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	17,086	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,929	2,832
Yield rate	11.3%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,984 Out of state: $35,864	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$13,749	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,609 Meal plan: $3,881	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)	63.0% Average amount $8,691	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $4,637	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $11,369	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,462 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	1,240 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	1.3%	N/A
International students	2.9%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,323	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Oregon Washington Arizona Colorado	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.4%	53.6%
Dropout rate	27.4%	22.1%
Transferred out	4.8%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,107 Year 2: $95,797 Year 3: $96,478 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,190 Year 2: $83,091 Year 3: $93,961 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,808 Year 2: $74,241 Year 3: $91,563 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,244 Year 2: $70,176 Year 3: $79,499 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,761 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $79,308 Engineering, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,803 Year 2: $66,355 Year 3: $76,389 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,879 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,258 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,880 Year 2: $66,222 Year 3: $74,116 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,298 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $69,321 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,812 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,680	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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