Western Kentucky University Rankings Based on Salary
- Western Kentucky University ranks better than only 25% of colleges, based on bachelor's salaries.
- Western Kentucky University ranks better than only 42% of colleges, based on debt for a bachelor's degree.
Western Kentucky University's Top Ranking
- #14
Salary and Debt by Major at Western Kentucky University
We calculated a salary score for each of Western Kentucky University's programs by comparing program-specific median alumni earnings to median alumni earnings for the same program across all schools that provide this data. This way, students can compare the relative salary strength of a specific major at Western Kentucky University to the same major at other schools. A school's overall score by level is a weighted average of all of its program scores. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and was last updated in December 2020. It reflects median alumni debt upon graduation and median alumni earnings in the year after graduation for students who received federal financial aid.
Salary Scores for WKU Associate Degrees
WKU ranks higher than 31% of colleges for associate degrees, based on salary.
| Field of Study | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $17,776 | $26,353 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $18,500 | $52,843 |
Salary Scores for WKU Bachelor's Degrees
WKU ranks higher than 25% of colleges for bachelor's degrees, based on salary.
| Field of Study | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | $25,000 | $41,565 |
| Agriculture, General | $21,978 | $31,828 |
| Anthropology | $21,750 | $21,508 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $27,000 | $31,133 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $23,250 | $41,565 |
| Biology, General | $22,200 | $22,898 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $23,000 | $36,668 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Not Reported | $44,384 |
| Civil Engineering | $31,000 | $47,650 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $24,750 | $33,993 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $19,500 | $50,231 |
| Construction Engineering Technologies | Not Reported | $59,576 |
| Criminology | $20,500 | $28,133 |
| Dance | Not Reported | $18,771 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $25,000 | $42,363 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $23,249 | $20,482 |
| Economics | $14,000 | $43,426 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering | Not Reported | $72,650 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $25,000 | $25,194 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Not Reported | $33,382 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $23,000 | $41,342 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $26,049 | $26,063 |
| Geography and Cartography | Not Reported | $32,925 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Not Reported | $36,992 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $28,500 | $33,687 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $25,650 | $27,543 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $21,500 | $28,236 |
| History | $26,075 | $27,181 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $23,250 | $26,121 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $24,691 | $53,358 |
| Journalism | $26,000 | $29,374 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $28,750 | $30,804 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $18,291 | $42,309 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $23,100 | $43,798 |
| Marketing | $21,500 | $38,289 |
| Mathematics | $21,500 | $34,704 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $18,722 | $65,441 |
| Music | $30,599 | $27,150 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management | $30,000 | $24,035 |
| Political Science and Government | $24,250 | $28,960 |
| Psychology, General | $22,391 | $26,224 |
| Public Health | $29,750 | $34,526 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $23,050 | $33,815 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $27,000 | $25,194 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $23,500 | $55,704 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $18,939 | $25,967 |
| Social Sciences, General | $27,000 | $29,141 |
| Social Work | $24,503 | $33,565 |
| Sociology | $26,000 | $28,719 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $21,000 | $34,704 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $23,112 | $33,171 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $27,369 | $30,988 |
Salary Scores for WKU Master's Degrees
WKU ranks higher than 26% of colleges for master's degrees, based on salary.
| Field of Study | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $30,750 | $52,420 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $37,979 | $38,559 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $41,000 | $49,572 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Not Reported | $58,673 |
| Library Science and Administration | $20,500 | $43,638 |
| Mathematics | Not Reported | $44,356 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management | $30,748 | $45,618 |
| Psychology, General | $34,000 | $44,835 |
| Public Health | Not Reported | $38,289 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $32,572 | $82,882 |
| Social Work | $27,643 | $38,083 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $27,476 | $40,896 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | $38,500 | $37,208 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $30,750 | $40,535 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Not Reported | $39,639 |
Salary Scores for WKU Doctoral Degrees
WKU ranks higher than 54% of colleges for doctorates, based on salary.
| Field of Study | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Not Reported | $63,005 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $92,236 | $72,651 |
Western Kentucky University Reviews
Most Recent Reviews
At WKU I feel like the education program was great. However, the requirements that were established for an English/Literature emphasis I believe were entirely too rigorous. I was taking 18-19 hours per semester, and felt overwhelmed with all of the work I had to do just so I could graduate in the 4 years. WKU's tuition rates I believe were also super inflated compared to it's competitors in size and geographical area. However, I enjoyed my time at the school. I just felt overall, that the school focused more... Read More
The school itself has some amazing teachers, with some amazing knowledge of the subjects they teach. It is the higher up you go the more problems begin to show. The college continually changes their budget and have recently been cutting programs constantly. Tuition is on the rise and it was already high before then. For some reason they have also decided to force meal plans upon students who are not living on campus now. This is something you have to pay for out of pocket and is not included in financial aid... Read More