First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Entry term | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling admission The college reviews applications as they arrive until the class is full. | Fall | August 1, 2026 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: wku.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Western Kentucky University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 136 | 4 credits |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 136 | 4 credits |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 113 | 3 credits |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 116 or | 3 credits |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 credits |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 credits |
| United States History | 3 | HIST 240 or HIST 241 | 3 credits |
| Psychology | 3 | PSY 100 or PSYS 100 | 3 credits |
Show all 43 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 136 | 4 credits |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 136 | 4 credits |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MATH 136 | 4 credits |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MATH 136 and | 8 credits |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 113 | 3 credits |
| Biology | 4 | BIOL 113 and BIOL 114 | 4 credits |
| Biology | 5 | BIOL 120 and BIOL 122 | 6 credits |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 116 or | 3 credits |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 120 and CHEM 121 or | 5 credits |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 credits |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | ENG 100 | 3 credits |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | ENG 100 and | 6 credits |
| United States History | 3 | HIST 240 or HIST 241 | 3 credits |
| United States History | 4 | HIST 240 or HIST 241 and 3 hour History lower level elective | 6 credits |
| Psychology | 3 | PSY 100 or PSYS 100 | 3 credits |
| Statistics | 3 | MATH 183 or | 3 credits |
| Computer Science A | 3 | CS 180 | 4 credits |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | ECON 203 | 3 credits |
| Microeconomics | 3 | ECON 202 | 3 credits |
| World History: Modern | 3 | HIST 102 | 3 credits |
| Environmental Science | 3 | ENV 280 or | 3 credits |
| Environmental Science | 5 | GEOG 280 | 4 credits |
| European History | 3 | HIST 102 | 3 credits |
| European History | 4 | HIST 102 and | 6 credits |
| Human Geography | 3 | GEOG 110 | 3 credits |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , and SPAN 201 | 9 credits |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , SPAN 201 , and SPAN 202 | 12 credits |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , SPAN 201 , SPAN 202 , and SPAN 371 | 15 credits |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | CS 146 | 3 credits |
| Art History | 3 | ART 105 or ART 106 | 3 credits |
| Art History | 4 | ART 105 and ART 106 | 6 credits |
| Music Theory | 3 | MUS 100 | 2 credits |
| Music Theory | 4 | MUS 100 and MUS 101 | 4 credits |
| African American Studies | 3 | AFAM 190 | 3 credits |
| Business with Personal Finance | 3 | FIN 161 and | 3 credits |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | CHIN 101 , CHIN 102 , and CHIN 201 | 9 credits |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | CHIN 101 , CHIN 102 , CHIN 201 , and CHIN 202 | 12 credits |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | CHIN 101 , CHIN 102 , CHIN 201 , CHIN 202 , and CHIN 301 | 15 credits |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | IA 260 | 3 credits |
| Cybersecurity | 3 | Lower level elective | 3 credits |
| Drawing | 3 | ART 140 | 3 credits |
| Drawing | 4 | ART 130 and ART 140 | 6 credits |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | FREN 101 , FREN 102 , and FREN 201 | 9 credits |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | FREN 101 , FREN 102 , FREN 201 , and FREN 202 | 12 credits |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | FREN 101 , FREN 102 , FREN 201 , FREN 202 , and FREN 320 | 15 credits |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | GERM 101 , GERM 102 , and GERM 201 | 9 credits |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | GERM 101 , GERM 102 , GERM 201 , and GERM 202 | 12 credits |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | GERM 101 , GERM 102 , GERM 201 , GERM 202 , and GERM 330 | 15 credits |
| Government Politics: United States | 3 | PS 110 | 3 credits |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 3 hour Italian lower…ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 3 hour Italian lower level elective | 9 credits |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 6 hours Italian lower…ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 6 hours Italian lower level electives | 12 credits |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 6 hours Italian lower…ITAL 101 , ITAL 102 , and 6 hours Italian lower level and 3 hour Italian upper level electives | 15 credits |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | JAPN 101 , JAPN 102 , and JAPN 201 | 9 credits |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | JAPN 101 , JAPN 102 , JAPN 201 , and JAPN 202 | 12 credits |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | JAPN 101 , JAPN 102 , JAPN 201 , JAPN 202 , and 3…JAPN 101 , JAPN 102 , JAPN 201 , JAPN 202 , and 3 hour Japanese upper level elective | 15 credits |
| Latin | 3 | RELS 150 and RELS 151 , and 3 hour lower level elective | 9 credits |
| Latin | 4 | RELS 150 and RELS 151 , and 6 hours lower level electives | 12 credits |
| Latin | 5 | RELS 150 and RELS 151 , and 6 hours lower level…RELS 150 and RELS 151 , and 6 hours lower level electives, 3 hours of upper level electives | 15 credits |
| Networking | 3 | CIT 370 | 3 credits |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | PHYS 332 and PHYS 233 | 4 credits |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | PHYS 265 and PHYS 266 | 5 credits |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | PHYS 101 | 3 credits |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | PHYS 231 , PHYS 232 | 4 credits |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | PHYS 255 and PHYS 256 | 5 credits |
| Physics I | 3 | PHYS 101 | 3 credits |
| Physics I | 4 | PHYS 101 or PHYS 201 | 3-4 |
| Physics I | 5 | PHYS 231 and PHYS 232 ; or PHYS 201 | 4 credits |
| Physics II | 3 | PHYS 202 | 4 credits |
| Physics II | 4 | PHYS 332 and PHYS 233 ; or PHYS 202 | 4 credits |
| Precalculus | 3 | MATH 118 | 5 credits |
| Research | 3 | Lower level elective | 3 credits |
| Seminar | 3 | Lower level elective | 3 credits |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , and SPAN 201 | 9 credits |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , SPAN 201 , and SPAN 202 | 12 credits |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 , SPAN 201 , SPAN 202 , and SPAN 374 | 15 credits |
| Studio Art - 2D | 3 | ART 130 | 3 credits |
| Studio Art - 2D | 4 | ART 130 and ART 140 | 6 credits |
| Studio Art - 3D | 3 | ART 131 | 3 credits |
Source: catalog.wku.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | 184 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 146 |
| General Studies | 137 |
| Psychology | 129 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 114 |
| Marketing/Marketing Management | 107 |
| Criminology | 97 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 94 |
Show the other 81 majors
| Social Work | 89 |
| Finance | 69 |
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 65 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 61 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management | 58 |
| Accounting | 56 |
| Agriculture | 54 |
| Information Technology | 50 |
| Sports Studies | 50 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 49 |
| Apparel and Textiles | 47 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 44 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 36 |
| Construction Management | 36 |
| Organizational Leadership | 36 |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | 34 |
| English Language and Literature | 33 |
| Business Analytics | 31 |
| Dental Hygiene/Hygienist | 31 |
| Political Science and Government | 30 |
| Broadcast Journalism | 29 |
| Computer Science | 29 |
| Civil Engineering | 28 |
| Public Relations/Image Management | 27 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 27 |
| History | 27 |
| Industrial Technology/Technician | 25 |
| Architectural Technology/Technician | 24 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 23 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 22 |
| Music Performance | 21 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 20 |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 20 |
| Advertising | 20 |
| Environmental Studies | 17 |
| Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching | 17 |
| Sociology | 17 |
| Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | 17 |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 17 |
| Journalism | 16 |
| Radio and Television | 16 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 16 |
| Anthropology | 16 |
| Biochemistry | 15 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education | 14 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 14 |
| Chemistry | 13 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician | 13 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 13 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 12 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 11 |
| Social Sciences | 10 |
| Dance | 10 |
| Music, Other | 10 |
| International Business/Trade/Commerce | 10 |
| Mathematics | 9 |
| Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator | 9 |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 9 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 8 |
| Economics | 8 |
| Chinese Language and Literature | 8 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 8 |
| Legal Assistant/Paralegal | 7 |
| Environmental Health | 6 |
| Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist | 6 |
| International Relations and Affairs | 6 |
| Organizational Communication | 6 |
| Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies | 5 |
| Meteorology | 5 |
| Photojournalism | 4 |
| Molecular Genetics | 4 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 4 |
| Physics | 4 |
| Legal Studies | 3 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 3 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 2 |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | 2 |
| Arabic Language and Literature | 2 |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 2 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 |
| Physical Sciences | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Conference USA
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Conference USA
Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
ROTC
Army
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, Newman Connection
Also
Honors college, Esports, Study abroad
Greek life
22% of men in fraternities · 18% of women in sororities · 20% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2015–16)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), cru.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, small
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Bowling Green, KY
195,159 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
No
More about the place
Nearest airport
Nashville International (BNA)
Nearest hub airport
Nashville International (BNA)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 8.8 of 20
Elevation
515 ft
Time zone
Central
January low
28°F
July high
90°F
Annual snowfall
8.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
47 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,000 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Welch College43 mi
- Cumberland University55 mi
- Austin Peay State University59 mi
- Fisk University60 mi
- Tennessee State University60 mi
- Trevecca Nazarene University61 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
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