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
23
Average class size
32%
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
338
10-19
544
20-29
529
40-49
98
50-99
82
100+
34
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:
81%
First-year retention rate
32%
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 $65,000. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$65,000
$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:
Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General
Finance, General
Accounting
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
105
132.6
160.2
187.8
215.4
243
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Food Technology and Processing 1
- Food Science 0
Architecture And Related Services
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 0
Area
- Women's Studies 2
- Women's Studies 1
- African-American/Black Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biomedical Sciences, General 69
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 31
- Biochemistry 12
- Aquatic Biology/Limnology 5
- Biomedical Sciences, General 3
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 1
Business
- Finance, General 200
- Accounting 170
- E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce 128
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 103
- Marketing, Other 97
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 51
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 38
- Fashion Merchandising 15
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 14
- Financial Planning and Services 13
- Organizational Leadership 11
- Business Administration and Management, General 6
- Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations 5
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management 5
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 2
- Marketing, Other 2
- Finance, General 2
- Information Resources Management 1
- Organizational Leadership 1
- Financial Planning and Services 1
- Accounting 1
- Telecommunications Management 0
- Business/Managerial Economics 0
- Business/Commerce, General 0
- Management Science 0
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other 0
Communication
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 43
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 17
- Advertising 15
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 11
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 6
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 2
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 1
- Organizational Communication, General 0
- Broadcast Journalism 0
- Journalism 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 42
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 14
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 5
Education
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 39
- Elementary Education and Teaching 32
- Education, Other 29
- Music Teacher Education 24
- Social Studies Teacher Education 19
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 16
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other 10
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 10
- Social Studies Teacher Education 9
- Mathematics Teacher Education 8
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 7
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 7
- Mathematics Teacher Education 6
- Art Teacher Education 5
- Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 3
- Spanish Language Teacher Education 2
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 2
- History Teacher Education 1
- Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 1
- Music Teacher Education 1
- Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education 1
- Earth Science Teacher Education 0
- Latin Teacher Education 0
- Geography Teacher Education 0
- Physics Teacher Education 0
- German Language Teacher Education 0
- French Language Teacher Education 0
- Chemistry Teacher Education 0
- Biology Teacher Education 0
- Technical Teacher Education 0
- Social Science Teacher Education 0
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 0
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 0
- Health Teacher Education 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 0
Engineering
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 58
- Mechanical Engineering 46
- Chemical Engineering 36
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 33
- Civil Engineering, General 23
- Computer Engineering, General 19
- Industrial Engineering 17
- Paper Science and Engineering 16
- Chemical Engineering 5
- Structural Engineering 3
- Mechanical Engineering 3
- Engineering, Other 0
- Manufacturing Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 17
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General 12
- Engineering/Industrial Management 10
- Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 21
- Creative Writing 17
- Creative Writing 9
- Writing, General 3
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Child Development 29
- Family Systems 4
- Family and Community Services 3
- Apparel and Textiles, General 0
- Foodservice Systems Administration/Management 0
Foreign Languages
- Spanish Language and Literature 15
- Spanish Language and Literature 10
- German Language and Literature 5
- Japanese Language and Literature 5
- French Language and Literature 2
- Japanese Language and Literature 1
- French Language and Literature 1
- German Language and Literature 0
- Latin Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 97
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 32
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 30
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 30
- HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 30
- Physician Associate/Assistant 18
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist 18
- Music Therapy/Therapist 14
- Public Health, General 8
- Dietetics/Dietitian 7
- Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other 2
- Music Therapy/Therapist 1
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management 1
- Medical Informatics 1
- Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other 0
- Athletic Training/Trainer 0
- Audiology/Audiologist 0
History
- History, General 9
- Public/Applied History 4
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 56
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 4
Legal Professions And Studies
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other 15
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 5
- Applied Mathematics, General 2
- Applied Mathematics, General 2
- Statistics, General 0
Mechanic And Repair Technologies/Technicians
- Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 153
- Business Analytics 26
- International/Globalization Studies 10
- Mathematics and Computer Science 7
- Geography and Environmental Studies 6
- Business Analytics 5
- International/Globalization Studies 4
- Environmental Geosciences 2
- Mathematics and Computer Science 2
- Geography and Environmental Studies 1
- Data Science, General 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Studies 14
- Environmental Studies 5
Parks
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 58
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 45
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 2
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 4
- Philosophy 4
- Religion/Religious Studies 1
- Applied and Professional Ethics 0
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 9
- Geology/Earth Science, General 8
- Hydrology and Water Resources Science 3
- Geology/Earth Science, General 1
- Physics, General 1
- Geophysics and Seismology 1
- Geochemistry 1
- Chemistry, Other 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 128
- Applied Behavior Analysis 23
- Psychology, General 13
- Social Psychology 2
- Applied Behavior Analysis 1
- Social Psychology 1
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Social Work 65
Social Sciences
- Political Science and Government, General 16
- Anthropology, General 14
- Economics, General 11
- Sociology, General 10
- Political Science and Government, Other 10
- Political Science and Government, General 5
- Geography 4
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 3
- Anthropology, General 2
- Political Science and Government, Other 2
- American Government and Politics (United States) 2
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 1
- Geography 1
- Economics, General 1
Transportation And Materials Moving
- Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General 243
- Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General 23
- Aviation/Airway Management and Operations 0
- Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 23
- Industrial and Product Design 22
- Fine/Studio Arts, General 19
- Graphic Design 18
- Acting 15
- Dance, General 14
- Interior Design 14
- Dance, Other 13
- Art/Art Studies, General 13
- Musical Theatre 11
- Music Technology 11
- Music Performance, General 9
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 9
- Music, General 6
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 4
- Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General 4
- Music Performance, General 4
- Voice and Opera 3
- Music Theory and Composition 3
- Fashion/Apparel Design 3
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 3
- Voice and Opera 2
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other 1
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
- Theatre Literature, History and Criticism 0
- Keyboard Instruments 0
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 0
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