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Western Michigan University

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Western Michigan University Overview

Western Michigan University is a public institution situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The surrounding area of the school is a good match for students who enjoy city life.

What Is Western Michigan University Known For?

3,778 Undergraduate Awards
$23,926 Avg Cost After Aid
85% Acceptance Rate
  • Although it may not be available for every major, the doctor's degree is the highest award a student can attain at WMU.
  • For the 2017-2018 academic year, 63% of the faculty were full-time.
  • Students who graduate from WMU with a bachelor's degree make about $45,000 a year. That's 10% more than those who graduate from other schools.

Best Schools

Western Michigan University Rankings

These rankings may look different from those published by other outlets, because we use an outcomes-based approach rather than a subjective one. We get our data from a number of places, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard. For more information, check out our rankings and methodology page.

Program Level Awards

These are highlights of some of the most noteworthy awards granted to specific programs at WMU.

Rank Ranking Name Share
#2 Best Drafting & Design Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#11 Best Rehabilitation Professions Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#12 Best Value Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#13 Best Industrial Production Technology Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#15 Best Physiology & Pathology Sciences Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#22 Best Ecology & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#31 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#45 Best General Biology Master’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#46 Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It
#56 Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools Tweet It - Post It

Awards From Around the Web

The following table lists some notable awards WMU has earned from around the web.

Rank Ranking Name Source
#1 Best Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations Schools College Factual
#3 Best General Drafting & Design Technology Schools College Factual
#10 Best Drafting & Design Engineering Technology Schools College Factual
#18 Best Industrial Production Technology Schools College Factual
#22 Best Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Schools College Factual
#35 Best Mechanic & Repair Technologies Schools College Factual

Where Is Western Michigan University?

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Contact details for WMU are given below.

Contact Details
Address: 1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5200
Phone: 269-387-1000
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wmich
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wmunews

How Do I Get Into WMU?

You can apply to WMU online at: https://wmich.edu/apply/

Admission Requirements for WMU

Submission Required?
High School GPA required
High School Rank neither required nor recommended
High School Transcript required
College Prep Program recommended
Recommendations neither required nor recommended
SAT or ACT Scores required
TOEFL required

How Hard Is It To Get Into WMU?

85% Acceptance Rate
55% Of Accepted Are Women
67% Submit SAT Scores
The acceptance rate at Western Michigan University is 85%. This means that is not quite as selective as some schools, but you'll still need to submit a good application if you want to be considered by the admissions department.

Approximately 45% of accepted students are men and 55% are women. The acceptance rate for men is 84%, and the acceptance rate for women is 86%.

Average Test Scores

About 67% of students accepted to WMU submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 500 and 610. Math scores were between 510 and 610.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Western Michigan University  ( 500 to 610 )
200
800

SAT Math Scores for Western Michigan University  ( 510 to 610 )
200
800
WMU received ACT scores from 22% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT English scores ranged between 19 and 26. Math scores were between 20 and 26. Composite scores were between 20 and 27.

ACT English Scores for Western Michigan University  ( 19 to 26 )
1
36
ACT Math Scores for Western Michigan University  ( 20 to 26 )
1
36
ACT Composite Scores for Western Michigan University  ( 20 to 27 )
1
36

Can I Afford Western Michigan University?

$23,926 Net Price
57% Take Out Loans
7.8% Loan Default Rate
The overall average net price of WMU is $23,926. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group.

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid.

Student Loan Debt

While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At WMU, approximately 57% of students took out student loans averaging $8,965 a year. That adds up to $35,860 over four years for those students.

The student loan default rate at WMU is 7.8%. Although this is lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, you'll still want to keep this in mind when taking out student loans.

Western Michigan University Undergraduate Student Diversity

13,296 Full-Time Undergraduates
50% Women
24% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
There are 15,969 undergraduate students at WMU, with 13,296 being full-time and 2,673 being part-time.

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There are also 3,918 graduate students at the school.

Gender Diversity

Of the 13,296 full-time undergraduates at WMU, 50% are male and 50% are female.

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Racial-Ethnic Diversity

The racial-ethnic breakdown of Western Michigan University students is as follows.

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 298
Black or African American 1,305
Hispanic or Latino 1,027
White 9,121
International Students 790
Other Races/Ethnicities 755

Geographic Diversity

Michigan students aren't the only ones who study at Western Michigan University. At this time, 28 states are represented by the student population at the school.

Over 94 countries are represented at WMU. The most popular countries sending students to the school are Saudi Arabia, India, and China.

Online Learning at Western Michigan University

7,025 Took All Classes Online
18,156 Took At Least One Class Online
112.8% Avg Growth Over 4 Years
There are 4 bachelor’s degree and 8 master’s degree programs available online at WMU. In 2019-2020, 18,156 students took at least one online class at the school.

The following chart shows how the online learning population at WMU has changed over the last few years.

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This school is the 25th most popular in Michigan for online learning according to the online graduations recorded by the Department of Education for the academic year 2019-2020.

Online Affordability Rankings of WMU

The following table shows how WMU is ranked for affordability for both in-state and out-of-state students among colleges and universities that are not mostly online.

Major Tuition for In-State Students Tuition for Out-of-State Students
Natural Resources & Conservation #7 #14
Natural Resources Conservation #7 #11
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions #7 #4
Communication Sciences #10 #1
Transportation & Materials Moving #16 #10
Air Transportation #16 #10
Other Education #32 #4
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies #37 #10
Human Development & Family Studies #46 #19
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences #61 #31
Information Technology #67 #31

Online Growth Rankings of WMU

The average growth rate over the last four years of online students at Western Michigan University was 112.8%. This is the #389 largest growth rate of all schools that are only partially online. This refers to all students at WMU regardless of major.

The following table shows the 1-year growth rate of WMU majors that offer at least one online course. This table only includes majors with positive growth.

Major 1-Year Growth Rate
Communication Sciences 8%
Computer & Information Sciences 9%
Education 11%
Geological & Earth Sciences 12%
Gerontology 33%
Health Professions 1%
Information Technology 20%
Nursing 4%
Other Education 95%
Physical Sciences 17%
Teacher Education Subject Specific 10%

The table below shows how the average growth rate over 4 years at WMU ranks compared to all other partially online schools that offer a specific major. Note that the majors may or may not be offered online at WMU.

Major Growth Rate Rank
Dance #1
Geological & Earth Sciences #4
Communication Sciences #7
Gerontology #7
Physical Sciences #12
Other Education #14
Visual & Performing Arts #16
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies #16
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions #19
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences #20
Human Development & Family Studies #20
Mental & Social Health Services #23
Information Technology #25
Instructional Media Design #43
Teacher Education Subject Specific #52
Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies #54
Computer & Information Sciences #70
Health & Medical Administrative Services #86
Nursing #99
Education #175
Health Professions #257

When we speak of partially online, we are referring to schools whose online population is less than 50% of its total student body. Mostly online refers to those with online populations greater than or equal to 50%.

Western Michigan University Undergraduate Concentrations

The table below shows the number of awards for each concentration.

Major Basic Certificate Bachelor’s Graduate Certificate Master’s Doctor’s TOTAL
Business Administration & Management 0 220 0 95 0 315
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 0 222 3 5 0 230
Marketing 0 218 0 0 0 218
Social Work 0 65 0 113 0 178
General Biology 0 148 0 18 3 169
Teacher Education Subject Specific 0 86 0 73 3 162
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 0 60 4 91 0 155
Accounting 0 124 0 25 0 149
Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology 0 51 0 66 27 144
Finance & Financial Management 0 140 0 0 0 140
Nursing 0 129 0 6 0 135
Health & Physical Education 0 105 0 23 0 128
Health & Medical Administrative Services 0 126 0 0 0 126
Air Transportation 0 126 0 0 0 126
Mechanical Engineering 0 79 0 34 6 119
General Psychology 0 109 0 5 0 114
Criminal Justice & Corrections 0 112 0 0 0 112
Public Relations & Advertising 0 104 0 0 0 104
Computer Science 0 59 0 21 9 89
Teacher Education Grade Specific 0 54 0 33 0 87
Industrial Engineering 0 17 0 60 3 80
Special Education 0 19 2 49 6 76
Human Development & Family Studies 0 72 1 0 0 73
Human Resource Management 0 59 0 11 0 70
Chemical Engineering 0 66 0 3 0 69
Communication Sciences 0 29 0 30 6 65
Music 0 43 1 21 0 65
Electrical Engineering 0 41 0 19 4 64
Educational Administration 0 0 2 31 28 61
Communication & Media Studies 0 51 0 9 0 60
Political Science & Government 0 53 0 3 1 57
Computer Information Systems 0 56 0 0 0 56
Writing Studies 0 44 0 3 5 52
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 0 48 0 2 0 50
Allied Health Professions 0 7 0 43 0 50
Student Counseling 0 0 1 44 4 49
Civil Engineering 0 33 0 14 2 49
Mental & Social Health Services 0 0 8 38 0 46
Drama & Theater Arts 0 46 0 0 0 46
Romance Languages 0 30 0 14 0 44
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing 0 40 0 0 0 40
Sociology 0 34 0 3 3 40
Public Administration 0 0 0 35 4 39
Geography & Cartography 0 20 6 10 0 36
Fine & Studio Arts 0 36 0 0 0 36
History 0 23 1 7 3 34
Geological & Earth Sciences 1 15 3 13 2 34
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 0 34 0 0 0 34
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology 0 31 0 0 0 31
Engineering-Related Fields 0 24 0 7 0 31
Teaching English or French 0 0 1 29 0 30
Design & Applied Arts 0 30 0 0 0 30
Industrial Production Technology 0 26 0 1 0 27
Public Health 0 9 0 17 0 26
Natural Resources Conservation 0 26 0 0 0 26
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 0 25 0 0 0 25
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 0 23 0 0 0 23
Philosophy 0 14 0 9 0 23
Other Education 0 21 0 1 0 22
Economics 0 10 0 11 1 22
Dance 2 20 0 0 0 22
Paper Science & Engineering 0 18 0 3 0 21
International Studies 0 21 0 0 0 21
Statistics 0 4 5 9 2 20
Anthropology 0 18 0 2 0 20
Physics 0 9 0 5 5 19
Chemistry 0 8 0 4 5 17
General English Literature 0 13 0 2 1 16
Ethnic Studies 0 15 0 0 0 15
Mathematics 0 8 0 5 2 15
Computer Engineering 0 12 0 2 0 14
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 0 0 0 13 0 13
Health Sciences & Services 0 6 0 0 7 13
Vehicle Maintenance & Repair 0 13 0 0 0 13
Religious Studies 0 7 0 5 0 12
Child Development & Psychology 0 12 0 0 0 12
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 0 11 0 0 0 11
East Asian Languages 0 11 0 0 0 11
Alternative Medicine & Systems 0 0 11 0 0 11
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 0 9 0 0 0 9
Entrepreneurial Studies 0 9 0 0 0 9
Instructional Media Design 0 0 1 8 0 9
Medical Illustration & Informatics 0 9 0 0 0 9
Applied Mathematics 0 6 0 3 0 9
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics 0 0 8 0 0 8
Educational Assessment 0 0 0 4 4 8
Data Science 0 5 0 3 0 8
Other Engineering 0 5 0 0 2 7
Legal Professions (Other) 0 7 0 0 0 7
Food, Nutrition & Related Services 0 6 0 0 0 6
Management Information Systems 0 5 0 0 0 5
Journalism 0 5 0 0 0 5
Information Technology 0 0 1 4 0 5
Medieval Studies 0 0 0 4 0 4
Gerontology 0 0 3 0 0 3
Food Science Technology 0 2 0 0 0 2
Curriculum & Instruction 0 0 0 2 0 2
Classical Languages & Literature 0 2 0 0 0 2
Germanic Languages 0 2 0 0 0 2
Recreation Administration 0 2 0 0 0 2
Urban & Regional Planning 0 1 0 0 0 1
General Business/Commerce 0 1 0 0 0 1
Textile & Apparel Studies 0 1 0 0 0 1
Business/Managerial Economics 0 0 0 0 0 0
Construction Management 0 0 0 0 0 0
Telecommunications Management 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Computer & Information Sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0
Education Philosophy 0 0 0 0 0 0
Manufacturing Engineering 0 0 0 0 0 0
Operations Research 0 0 0 0 0 0
Liberal Arts General Studies 0 0 0 0 0 0
Interdisciplinary Studies 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mathematics & Computer Science 0 0 0 0 0 0
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies 0 0 0 0 0 0
Materials Sciences 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arts & Media Management 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 3 3,775 62 1,223 148 5,211

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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