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Western Kentucky University

1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101

Website: Western Kentucky University

Photos:

View from the middle of the campus.
View from the middle of the campus.
[source]
Academy Construction Walkthrough
[source]

Western Kentucky University School Description

Western Kentucky University prepares students to be productive, engaged, and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society. It provides research, service and lifelong learning opportunties for its constituents. WKU is responsible for stewarding a high quality of life for those within its reach.

Western Kentucky University is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a city with a population of 50,000, and located approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee. U.S. Highway 31-W and Interstate 65 intersect with U.S. Highways 68 and 231 at Bowling Green, and the Cumberland and William H. Natcher parkways provide additional easy highway access to Bowling Green.

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Western Kentucky University

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.

WKU has a student body of more than 20,000 students. Its main campus, College Heights, is in the midst of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation. Since 1997, dormitories have been renovated, new academic and athletic buildings have been finished, with more construction under way. The university also has placed a premium on creating a parklike atmosphere, with parking lots on the interior of the campus replaced with greenspace, trees and other landscaping known as Centennial Mall.

WKU sits atop the highest point in south-central Kentucky, a hill called College Heights with a commanding view of the Barren River valley. The campus flows from the top of College Heights, also known as The Hill, down its north, south and west faces.

The university's mottos are "The Spirit Makes the Master" and "Life, More Life!" -- both phrases coined by WKU's founder, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry.

WKU alumni have among the nation's highest rate of giving back to the university, both in money and time. WKU is in the midst of its second major capital campaign, the $200 million New Century of Spirit. It follows the university's first campaign, Investing in the Spirit, which had a goal of $75 million but raised more than $100 million.

Besides the main campus at College Heights, WKU operates a satellite campus in Bowling Green and regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown/Fort Knox and in Owensboro.

History

The roots of WKU go back to 1875 and the founding of the privately owned Glasgow Normal School. This institution moved to Bowling Green in 1884 and became the Southern Normal School and Business College.

The student body and building were transferred to the Western Kentucky State Normal School, when it was created by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly in 1906. The owner of the Southern Normal School, Henry Hardin Cherry, became the first president of the new school. Classes began on January 22, 1907.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Southeast
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Public
Size:
Very Large (+10,000 Undergrad)
Mascots:
Hilltoppers, Lady Toppers
Nickname:
WKU

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
15,967
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
96%
Athletic Programs:
Available
More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 15,470
Students Receiving Aid:
92%
More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 35
Selectivity:
Selective
More Admissions

Western Kentucky University Degree Programs

Associate Degree Programs

Learn more about Associate Degree Programs

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Master’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Master’s Degree Programs

Certificate Programs

Learn more about Certificate Programs

Western Kentucky University Students & Campus Life

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 96%
Part-Time 4%
Men vs. Women
Women 58%
Men 42%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 86%
African-American 9%
Other 4%
Hispanic 1%
Asian 0%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 82%
Out-of-State 18%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Kentucky 82%
Tennessee 8%
Indiana 3%
Ohio 0%
Florida 0%
Percent of Students International: 3%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 32%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Sun Belt Conference)
Basketball (Sun Belt Conference)
Baseball (Sun Belt Conference)
Track (Sun Belt Conference)

Western Kentucky University Expenses (Tuition & Fees)

Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) In-State Out-of-State  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 6,416 $ 15,470  
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
 $ 2,883 33%  
State and Local Grants:
 $ 2,228 79%  
Institutional Grants:
 $ 3,484 24%  
Student Loans:
 $ 4,149 44%  
Any Aid:
   92%  

Western Kentucky University Admissions

Acceptance Rate: 96% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 4%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 440, Math: 410
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 540, Math: 520
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 91%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 18, Verbal: 18, Math: 17
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 24, Verbal: 25, Math: 24

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 35.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Recommended
High School Rank: Not Required
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Not Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice on Western Kentucky University

Yahoo
Handshakesasport
Handsha...

Question: Whats The Lowest Possible GPA And SAT To Have And Go To Ballstate University Or Western Kentucky University?

I need to know soon
15 months ago
Michelle S
Miche...

Best Answer

I would go to each of the web pages and go to the admissions section. They should list entrance requirements. Most colleges will except almost anyone, but they may start out on probation. I hope this helps.
McLovin
McLovin

Question: Whats dorm life like at Western Kentucky University? is there good parties?

23 months ago
JonDough
JonDough

Best Answer

WKU is a really fun University. The campus is (or at least was) wet - meaning you can drink. WKU is a really good school for communications. The dorms are fun. Some of them are not air conditioned though. So be aware of that. For parties, join a sorority or a frat. Other than that, if I were you, I would go to UK. UK has more people, more parties, and is a much better university.
kstinson
kstinson

Question: Does Western Kentucky University offer accredited engineering degrees?

The key is whether the degree is accredited or not.
30 months ago
Mark
Mark

Best Answer

the university is an accredited university, therefore the degrees they offer are all accredited.
lbb120
lbb120

Question: Anyone in a sorority at Western Kentucky University??

I'm looking to go to WKU next year. I was just curious what the sorority life was like??
30 months ago
I_Love_McRedneck
I_Lov...

Best Answer

Sorority life isn't really what you see on the tv show "greek" - that was designed with ratings in mind. Sororities are a great way to meet new people, do have fun and to be philanthropic. The world's top leaders were all part of the greek system - it teaches leadership. Usually people in the greek system have higher gpa's than the rest of the campus because they have strict gpa requirements. you learn so much and have an opportunity to be a part of something great. I joined my sorority 10 years ago and am currently an advisor - it can become a lifelong experience if you want it to be! I'd definitely recommend going through your campus recruitment. Have an open mind and more importantly, just have fun. You'll know if it's a right fit for you. For those who will tell you joining a sorority means buying your friends or that you're shallow, they're really the narrow minded ones because they'll never give it a chance - they've made up their minds without doing any research or trying to find out the truth. Follow your heart, you'll be just fine!

Photos

  • View from the middle of the campus.
    View from the middle of the campus. [source]
  • [source]
  • E.A. Diddle Arena, home to the Men's and Women's Basketball teams at WKU.
    E.A. Diddle Arena, home to the Men's and Women's Basketball teams at WKU. [source]
  • A statue of Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry, WKU's founder, stands at the top of The Hill, in front of Cherry Hall.
    A statue of Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry, WKU's founder, stands at the top of The Hill, in front of Cherry Hall. [source]
  • The Spirit Makes the Master, WKU's motto, is on the pylon at the entrance to the university.
    The Spirit Makes the Master, WKU's motto, is on the pylon at the entrance to the university. [source]
  • Mass Media and Technology Hall, home to WKU's School of Journalism and Broadcasting, a nationally prominent program routinely ranked among the best undergraduate journalism schools in the nation.
    Mass Media and Technology Hall, home to WKU's School of Journalism and Broadcasting, a nationally prominent program routinely ranked among the best undergraduate journalism schools in the nation. [source]
  • Guthrie Tower, on the common of Western Kentucky University.
    Guthrie Tower, on the common of Western Kentucky University. [source]
  • Western Kentucky University (WKU)
    Western Kentucky University (WKU) [source]

Videos

  • Academy Construction Walkthrough
  • The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky
  • Academy Construction
  • WKU Commercial
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Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY 42101
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