Western Kentucky University (WKU) vs Nicholls State

Western Kentucky University and Nicholls State University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Kentucky University, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana (78%). While Western Kentucky University excels in fields like Business, Education, and Health Professions, Nicholls State University shines in programs such as Engineering, Nursing, and Education. Western Kentucky University's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while Nicholls State University has a slightly higher graduation rate (58% vs. 56%). Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Nicholls State University	Western Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Thibodaux, Louisiana	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	70.0%	73.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.2%	98.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $36	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1038 - 1228	N/A
ACT range	20 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	2.0%
Students submitting ACT score	98.0%
Total number of applicants	2,167	7,255
Total number of admissions given out	2,106	7,145
Admitted students who chose to enroll	958	2,832
Yield rate	45.5%	39.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,440 Out of state: $25,533	In state: $27,895 Out of state: $43,903
Average net price	$12,907	$12,395
Tuition	In state: $4,922 Out of state: $6,015	In state: $10,992 Out of state: $27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,846 Meal plan: $3,562	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)	96.0% Average amount $8,215	98.0% Average amount $9,576
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,010	47.0% Average amount $5,128
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,263	5.0% Average amount $9,983

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,567 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%	14,729 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	658 Men 18.8% Women 81.2%	2,021 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.5%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,423	4,942
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Tennessee Indiana Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Multidisciplinary Studies Psychology	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	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	50.2%	53.6%
Dropout rate	24.0%	22.1%
Transferred out	24.0%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,217 Year 2: $89,841 Year 3: $99,390 Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,846 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $68,809 Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,415 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $60,810 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,839 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $59,396 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,286 Year 2: $60,030 Year 3: $59,338 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,223 Year 2: $47,046 Year 3: $46,006 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,732 Year 2: $45,383 Year 3: $43,138 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,995 Year 2: $40,768 Year 3: $42,970 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,281 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $42,819 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,155 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $41,451	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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