My colleges

What Western Kentucky University costs

Bowling Green, Kentucky · Public · 12,155 undergrads

Western Kentucky University's in-state sticker price was $24,535 a year in 2024-25 (College Scorecard). In-state students with federal aid paid $11,789 on average after grants; families earning under $30,000 paid $9,356. Out-of-state students pay $14,928 more in tuition.

What does Western Kentucky University cost?

$11,789 a year in-state

Out of state: about $26,717 a year

What in-state students who got federal aid paid on average after grants, 2024-25. The in-state sticker price, with housing and food, is $24,535.

Tap your family income:

Average paid after grants by family income
under $30,000$9,356
$30,000–$48,000$7,809
$48,000–$75,000$8,394
$75,000–$110,000$13,925
over $110,000$19,009

Out-of-state tuition is $27,000 a year, against $12,072 in state. The out-of-state figure adds that $14,928 to the in-state average. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Own a business or have divorced parents? Run Western Kentucky University's own calculator.

Net price 2024-25, College Scorecard.

By family income

In-state families who got federal aid, average paid per year after grants, 2024-25.

Family incomeIn-state, average paidOut of state, estimate
Under $30,000$9,356$24,284
$30,000–$48,000$7,809$22,737
$48,000–$75,000$8,394$23,322
$75,000–$110,000$13,925$28,853
Over $110,000$19,009$33,937

The out-of-state estimate is the in-state average plus the $14,928 more in tuition that Western Kentucky University charges students from other states. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Run Western Kentucky University's own calculator

For in-state families earning under $30,000, grants took 62% off Western Kentucky University's sticker price.

Business owner, divorced parents, or savings? The averages can't see that; Western Kentucky University's own calculator can.

Got an aid offer? See how to compare aid offers and ask for more.

Compared with colleges people also look at

For families earning $48,000–75,000, Western Kentucky University cost less than Eastern Kentucky University, Columbus State University and Fairmont State University.

CollegeFamilies earning $48–75kAll aided students
Western Kentucky University$8,394$11,789
Eastern Kentucky University$9,840$11,925
Columbus State University$15,353$15,711
Fairmont State University$12,892$14,599

Public colleges: in-state students.

The sticker price

$12,072
Tuition, in state, 2025-26
$27,000
Tuition, out of state, 2025-26
$24,535
Full sticker price, tuition, housing, food, books

Out-of-state students pay $14,928 more in tuition at Western Kentucky University and usually get less aid.

36%
of undergrads get a Pell Grant, the federal grant for lower-income students.
$10,921
average grant for students who got aid.
37%
of undergrads take a federal loan.
$19,500
median federal debt at graduation.

Questions people ask

How much does Western Kentucky University cost for a family earning $25,000?
In-state families earning under $30,000 paid $9,356 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $24,535. Your own price depends on your family's finances; Western Kentucky University's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does Western Kentucky University cost for a family earning $40,000?
In-state families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid $7,809 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $24,535. Your own price depends on your family's finances; Western Kentucky University's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does Western Kentucky University cost for a family earning $60,000?
In-state families earning $48,000–$75,000 paid $8,394 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $24,535. Your own price depends on your family's finances; Western Kentucky University's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does Western Kentucky University cost for out-of-state students?
Out-of-state tuition at Western Kentucky University is $27,000 a year, against $12,072 for in-state students in 2025-26. In-state students who got federal aid paid $11,789 on average after grants in 2024-25. Adding the $14,928 tuition gap gives about $26,717 a year from out of state. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.
Where these numbers come from
  • Admit rate and applicants: IPEDS, fall 2024 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
  • Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard, 2024-25 (checked Oct 31, 2026)

Updated Oct 31, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers