Western Michigan University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Western Michigan University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
16:1
Student to faculty ratio
24
Average class size
29%
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.
WMU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
327
10-19
578
20-29
494
30-39
239
40-49
99
50-99
92
100+
29
Honors Programs
Western Michigan 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 WMU'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 Michigan University:
80%
First-year retention rate
29%
4-year grad rate
58%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $50,000. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$50,000
$48,300 (National Average)
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Western Michigan University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Finance, General
Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General
Accounting
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Marketing, Other
94.4
117.92
141.44
164.96
188.48
212
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Food Science 1
Architecture And Related Services
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 0
Area
- Women's Studies 3
- African-American/Black Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biomedical Sciences, General 93
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 27
- Biochemistry 8
- Aquatic Biology/Limnology 3
Business
- Finance, General 212
- Accounting 175
- Marketing, Other 114
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 110
- E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce 101
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 60
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 43
- Financial Planning and Services 22
- Fashion Merchandising 21
- Business Administration and Management, General 16
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 14
- Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations 3
- Organizational Leadership 2
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management 1
- Information Resources Management 1
- Business/Commerce, General 0
- Business/Managerial Economics 0
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other 0
- Management Science 0
- Telecommunications Management 0
Communication
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 49
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 45
- Advertising 24
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 11
- Organizational Communication, General 3
- Journalism 0
- Broadcast Journalism 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 71
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 36
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 1
Education
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 57
- Elementary Education and Teaching 30
- Music Teacher Education 26
- Education, Other 20
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 18
- Social Studies Teacher Education 15
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other 8
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 7
- Mathematics Teacher Education 5
- Art Teacher Education 3
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 3
- Biology Teacher Education 3
- Earth Science Teacher Education 3
- History Teacher Education 2
- Spanish Language Teacher Education 2
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 1
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 1
- Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 1
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 0
- Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 0
- Health Teacher Education 0
- Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education 0
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 0
- Social Science Teacher Education 0
- Technical Teacher Education 0
- Chemistry Teacher Education 0
- French Language Teacher Education 0
- German Language Teacher Education 0
- Physics Teacher Education 0
- Geography Teacher Education 0
- Latin Teacher Education 0
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 78
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 44
- Chemical Engineering 42
- Civil Engineering, General 33
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 30
- Industrial Engineering 20
- Paper Science and Engineering 16
- Computer Engineering, General 9
- Engineering, Other 2
- Structural Engineering 0
- Manufacturing Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General 21
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 15
- Engineering/Industrial Management 10
- Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- Creative Writing 22
- English Language and Literature, General 18
- Writing, General 6
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Child Development 40
- Family Systems 9
- Family and Community Services 3
- Foodservice Systems Administration/Management 1
- Apparel and Textiles, General 1
Foreign Languages
- Spanish Language and Literature 5
- French Language and Literature 3
- Japanese Language and Literature 2
- German Language and Literature 0
- Latin Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 96
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist 40
- HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 38
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 38
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 38
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 36
- Dietetics/Dietitian 28
- Music Therapy/Therapist 13
- Public Health, General 12
- Physician Associate/Assistant 11
- Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other 7
- Medical Informatics 3
- Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other 2
- Audiology/Audiologist 0
- Athletic Training/Trainer 0
History
- History, General 9
- Public/Applied History 8
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 69
Legal Professions And Studies
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other 14
Mathematics And Statistics
- Applied Mathematics, General 4
- Mathematics, General 3
- Statistics, General 3
Mechanic And Repair Technologies/Technicians
- Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 171
- Business Analytics 21
- International/Globalization Studies 8
- Mathematics and Computer Science 7
- Geography and Environmental Studies 5
- Data Science, General 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Studies 16
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 62
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 44
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 1
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Religion/Religious Studies 1
- Philosophy 0
- Applied and Professional Ethics 0
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 7
- Chemistry, General 5
- Geochemistry 5
- Hydrology and Water Resources Science 4
- Geology/Earth Science, General 3
- Geophysics and Seismology 2
- Chemistry, Other 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 97
- Applied Behavior Analysis 46
- Social Psychology 2
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Social Work 64
Social Sciences
- Political Science and Government, General 26
- Economics, General 14
- Sociology, General 10
- Anthropology, General 7
- Geography 7
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 5
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 5
- Political Science and Government, Other 4
- American Government and Politics (United States) 1
Transportation And Materials Moving
- Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General 182
- Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew 0
- Aviation/Airway Management and Operations 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 28
- Graphic Design 22
- Fine/Studio Arts, General 16
- Music Technology 16
- Industrial and Product Design 13
- Musical Theatre 13
- Interior Design 12
- Art/Art Studies, General 11
- Music, General 11
- Acting 10
- Music Performance, General 10
- Dance, Other 9
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 8
- Dance, General 7
- Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General 5
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 3
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 3
- Fashion/Apparel Design 2
- Voice and Opera 2
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 2
- Theatre Literature, History and Criticism 1
- Music Theory and Composition 1
- Keyboard Instruments 1
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