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Academics

Western Kentucky University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Western Kentucky University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

18:1
Student to faculty ratio
24
Average class size
42%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

WKU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
374
10-19
483
20-29
454
30-39
292
40-49
163
50-99
75
100+
16

Honors Programs

Western Kentucky University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on WKU's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Western Kentucky University:

78%
First-year retention rate
42%
4-year grad rate
56%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Western Kentucky University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
General Studies
Business Administration and Management, General
Psychology, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
92.2
107.56
122.92
138.28
153.64
169

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • AGRICULTURAL / ANIMAL / PLANT / VETERINARY SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS 66
  • Agriculture, General 66
  • Agriculture, General 66
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural Technology/Technician 21
Area
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 1
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 65
  • Biochemistry 13
  • Molecular Genetics 3
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 128
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 84
  • Finance, General 64
  • Accounting 56
  • Organizational Leadership 51
  • Construction Management, General 46
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 30
  • Business/Managerial Economics 14
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 10
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 10
  • Management Information Systems, General 1
Communication
  • Organizational Communication, General 26
  • Broadcast Journalism 25
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 21
  • Advertising 17
  • Journalism 14
  • Public Relations/Image Management 14
  • Photojournalism 10
  • Radio and Television 5
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Information Technology 53
  • Computer Science 22
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 105
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 28
  • Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 16
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 10
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 5
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 5
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 2
  • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 1
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 33
  • Civil Engineering, General 25
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 16
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 22
  • Industrial Technology/Technician 17
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 33
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other 8
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Apparel and Textiles, General 44
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 12
  • Chinese Language and Literature 9
  • Arabic Language and Literature 2
  • German Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 169
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 49
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 49
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 49
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 39
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 36
  • Dental Hygiene/Hygienist 32
  • Community Health and Preventive Medicine 20
  • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator 10
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 8
  • Environmental Health 2
History
  • History, General 13
Legal Professions And Studies
  • Legal Assistant/Paralegal 4
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 0
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 0
  • Legal Studies 0
  • Pre-Law Studies 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 151
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 24
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Business Analytics 16
  • Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis 3
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 18
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 68
  • Sports Studies 54
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 7
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 13
  • Meteorology 7
  • Physics, General 7
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 4
  • Physical Sciences, General 2
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 106
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 41
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 72
Social Sciences
  • Criminology 63
  • Political Science and Government, General 29
  • Social Sciences, General 21
  • Sociology, General 21
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 10
  • Economics, General 9
  • International Relations and Affairs 9
  • Anthropology, General 6
  • Geography 6
  • Geographic Information Science and Cartography 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 43
  • Music Performance, General 21
  • Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 11
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 11
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 9
  • Music, Other 9
  • Dance, General 7
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 0

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