Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Western Kentucky University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Kentucky
- #2 Best Online MBA in Data Analytics
- #2 Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Information Technology
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Kentucky
- #3 Best Online MBAs Kentucky
- #3 Best Research Universities in Kentucky 2026
- #3 Most Affordable Online Master's of Speech Pathology Programs
- #3 Kentucky's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Kentucky's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Kentucky
- #4 Online Bachelor’s in Gender Studies
- #5 Best Colleges in Kentucky 2026
- #5 Best Online Six Sigma Certification
- #5 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #6 Online Master's in Biology
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration
- #7 Online Master’s in Health Science
- #9 Online Bachelor’s in Child Development
- #11 Online Bachelor’s in Health Science
- #12 Online Bachelor’s in Information Technology
- #14 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #14 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology
- #14 Online Master’s in Sports Management
- #15 Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership
- #15 Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies
- #17 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #40 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #44 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
About Western Kentucky University
Featured Alumnus
Harry B. Gray ranks among our Top Influential Chemists Today.
According to Wikipedia, Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, and Owensboro. The main campus, which has been undergoing expansion and renovation since the 1990s, sits atop a hill overlooking the Barren River valley.
Western Kentucky University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Business Sustainability
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Facility And Event Management
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Lean Six Sigma
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Administration
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Strategic Sport Communications
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Occupational Safety And Health
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Business Core Competencies
- Required Credits: 16.5
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
MS in Recreation And Sports Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Athletic Administration And Coaching
- Facility And Event Management
- Intercollegiate Athletic Administration
- Sports Media And Branding
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
BS in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Workforce Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Supply Chain Management
- Business Data Analytics
- Six Sigma/Lean Management
- Cybersecurity Management
- Cybersecurity Management
- Required Credits: 30-39
- Format: Fully online
BS in Computer Information Technology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Emergency Management Disaster Science
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management Disaster Science
- Required Credits: 15
- Completion Time: 6 months
- Format: Fully online
BA in Criminology
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Adult Education
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in College And Career Readiness
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Literacy In Post-Secondary Settings
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Gifted Education And Talent Development
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Communicating In Healthcare
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Communicating In Organizations
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Family Home Visiting
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Gender And Women'S Studies
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in International Student Services
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
MS in Libraries, Informatics, And Technology In Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
AS in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Family And Consumer Sciences
Degree Concentrations
- Family Studies
- Child Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BIS in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Sociology
Degree Concentrations
- Community
- Environment And Development
- Family-Gender And Sexuality
- Inequality And Social Change
- Research Methods
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Dietetic Practice
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 15 months
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Long Term Care Administration
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Workplace Health Promotion
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 17
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
ASN in Nursing Lpn To Asn
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
BS in Dental Hygiene
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Healthcare Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Information Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Sciences
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Career Services
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Environmental Health And Safety
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
- Required Credits: 20
- Format: Fully online
MS in Engineering Technology Management
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MS in Environmental And Occupational Health Science
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
BS in Engineering Technology Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Western Kentucky University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,720 | 94% | 78% | 56% | 945 | 18 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Western Kentucky University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $12,072 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,356 |
| 30K - 48K | $7,809 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,394 |
| 75K - 110K | $13,925 |
| 110K+ | $19,009 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Western Kentucky University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Western Kentucky University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $48,408 a year, and 91% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Western Kentucky University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 19,978 | 17,207 | 2,771 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Western Kentucky University?
Western Kentucky University is located at 1906 College Heights Blvd, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1000.
How Safe is Western Kentucky University?
Relative to its enrollment, Western Kentucky University has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of 0.18%. Bowling Green has a violent crime rate of 0.23% and a property crime rate of 2.98%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Western Kentucky University Known For?
Western Kentucky University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Education
- Biology
- History
- Chemistry
- Law
- Business
- Sociology
- Communications
- Political Science
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Physics
- Economics
- Medical
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Computer Science
- Social Work
Western Kentucky University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Western Kentucky University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Western Kentucky University ranks #142 in the U.S. and #416 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #258 in the U.S. and #1099 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #265 in the U.S. and #1073 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #283 in the U.S. and #1159 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #292 in the U.S. and #1183 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #293 in the U.S. and #824 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #297 in the U.S. and #1515 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #309 in the U.S. and #1033 worldwide for influence in Law.
Western Kentucky University ranks #378 in the U.S. and #1342 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #429 in the U.S. and #1495 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #433 in the U.S. and #1609 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #460 in the U.S. and #1882 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #465 in the U.S. and #1414 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #477 in the U.S. and #2078 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #509 in the U.S. and #2271 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #520 in the U.S. and #3103 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #547 in the U.S. and #2048 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #557 in the U.S. and #3279 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #608 in the U.S. and #1586 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #655 in the U.S. and #1697 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #657 in the U.S. and #1226 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #830 in the U.S. and #3681 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWestern Kentucky University ranks #979 in the U.S. and #2363 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Western Kentucky University's Most Influential Alumni?
Western Kentucky University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, History, and Law. Here are some of Western Kentucky University's most famous alumni:
- Harry B. Gray
- An American chemist.
- Larry Elmore
- An American artist.
- William D. Mounce
- An American biblical scholar.
- Sue Grafton
- An American writer .
- Danny Jorgensen
- An American sociologist.
- Kern Alexander
- An Education academic .
- Michael Rosenbaum
- An American actor .
- Courtney Lee
- An American basketball player.
- Hal Rogers
- An American politician.
- Jerry Markham
- An American academic.
- John Carpenter
- An American director, screenwriter, producer, and composer.
- Kenny Perry
- A Professional golfer.
