Western Kentucky University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a small city.

Overview

Western Kentucky University, or WKU, is a public university located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was officially established by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, although its history dates back a quarter-century. After a few name changes, it was finally renamed as Western Kentucky University in 1966.

WKU’s main campus is situated at College Heights and covers 200 acres. It also operates a satellite campus in Bowling Green, and regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox, and Owensboro. WKU confers a variety of degrees and certificates to its students. The university is divided into the following academic divisions:

• College of Health and Human Services
• Ogden College of Science And Engineering
• Potter College of Arts and Letters
• The Bowling Green Community College of Western Kentucky University
• The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
• The Gordon Ford College of Business
• University College

WKU has several fraternities and sororities on campus including Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Nu, Chi Omega, and Kappa Delta. Their official mascot is called Big Red.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Many students concentrating in media and education and teaching.
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Large number of students.
• Superior share of faculty on tenure track.
• Number of dorm rooms for students.

School characteristics:

• The school is public.
• Academic calender: Semester.
• Carnegie classification: Masters Colleges and Universities I.

Features of note:

• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students have meal (board) plans.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Part-time classes are available.
• ROTC.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Tuition and Financial Aid (2009-2010)

Financial Aid

Western Kentucky University participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.

In 2009-2010, 95% of students received financial aid of some sort.

(Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.)

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Western Kentucky University:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Student enrollment was 19,742 in 2009-2010 (16,805 full-time equivalent).

About 43% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 57% of the class.

Undergrads are 83% of enrolled students and graduate students are 17%.

Students under 25 years old represent 70% of the student body. About 7% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Among freshmen students, 97% are full-time and 3% are part-time.

Admissions Summary (2009-2010)

SAT Test Scores:

Room and Board

Western Kentucky University provides on-campus housing for 4,958 of its 16,805 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.

Students may purchase a meal plan which includes 19 meals weekly.

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Sun Belt Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 44 male students received the aid (men were 53% of those receiving aid) and 39 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 47% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Western Kentucky University offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Doctorate (Research/Scholarship).

Graduate offerings include continuing professional education.The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Postbaccalaureate Comprehensive.

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT (86 awarded)

• Agricultural Production Operations
• Agriculture

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING (1 awarded)

• Architectural Technology/Technician

ART STUDIES (16 awarded)

• Visual and Performing Arts

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (416 awarded)

• Accounting
• Business Administration and Management
• Business/Commerce
• Business/Managerial Economics
• Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
• Finance
• Financial Planning and Services
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing/Marketing Management

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (55 awarded)

• Computer and Information Sciences
• Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician
• Information Technology

CONSTRUCTION TRADES (37 awarded)

• Apparel and Textiles

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (3 awarded)

• Dance
• Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (582 awarded)

• Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
• Art Teacher Education
• Business Teacher Education
• College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
• Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Education
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational/Instructional Media Design
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship
• Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
• Health Teacher Education
• International and Comparative Education
• Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
• Music Teacher Education
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Reading Teacher Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Special Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education/Profess Development, Levels & Methods
• Technical Teacher Education
• Trade and Industrial Teacher Education

ENGINEERING (58 awarded)

• Civil Engineering
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Engineering/Industrial Management
• Mechanical Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN (71 awarded)

• Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
• Industrial Technology/Technician
• Manufacturing Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (91 awarded)

• Public Administration
• Social Work

FINE ARTS (47 awarded)

• Fine/Studio Arts

HOSPITALITY (49 awarded)

• Hospitality Administration/Management

LAW (8 awarded)

• Legal Assistant/Paralegal

LIBERAL ARTS (732 awarded)

• Anthropology
• Applied Economics
• Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies
• Canadian Studies
• Cartography
• Economics
• English Language and Literature
• English Language and Literature/Letters
• French Language and Literature
• General Studies
• Geography
• German Language and Literature
• History
• Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
• Library Science/Librarianship
• Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Political Science and Government
• Social Sciences
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature
• Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS (25 awarded)

• Mathematics

MEDIA (269 awarded)

• Advertising
• Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
• Journalism
• Organizational Communication
• Photojournalism
• Public Relations/Image Management
• Radio and Television

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION (67 awarded)

• Community Health and Preventive Medicine
• Environmental Health
• Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician
• Health/Health Care Administration/Management

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (85 awarded)

• Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
• Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
• Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
• Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences

MEDICINE (20 awarded)

• Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)

MUSIC (39 awarded)

• Music

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (227 awarded)

• Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
• Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (66 awarded)

• Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science
• Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
• Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION (11 awarded)

• Executive Assistant/Executive Secretary

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT (2 awarded)

• Real Estate

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (20 awarded)

• Philosophy
• Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE (172 awarded)

• Biochemistry
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Chemistry
• Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
• Geology/Earth Science
• Meteorology
• Molecular Genetics
• Physics

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (198 awarded)

• Communication Disorders
• Counseling Psychology
• Psychology
• School Psychology