Match #1
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
Profile closeness89/100
Admit rate78%
- 12,318 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 54%
- Enrollment 12,318 students, close to 14,729
The colleges most similar to Western Kentucky University are Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University-Kentucky, and University of Louisville. Western Kentucky University admits 98% of applicants and has an average net price of $12,395 a year; 4 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 0 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Western Kentucky University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Western Kentucky University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Murray State University-Kentucky
Murray, KY
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate86%
- 6,688 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 56%, close to 54%
- Average net price $11,237, close to $12,395
Match #3
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
Profile closeness82/100
Admit rate79%
- 14,727 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 60%, close to 54%
- Enrollment 14,727 students, close to 14,729
Match #4
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate68%
- 8,246 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 54%, close to 54%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Morehead State University
Morehead, KY
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate90%
- 8,312 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Average net price $10,471, close to $12,395
- Acceptance rate 90%, close to 98%
Match #6
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
Profile closeness67/100
Admit rate93%
- 24,763 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 93%, close to 98%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY
Profile closeness41/100
Admit rate96%
- 1,309 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 96%, close to 98%
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL
Profile closeness91/100
Admit rate98%
- 8,750 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 56%, close to 54%
- Acceptance rate 98%, close to 98%
Match #9
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN
Profile closeness87/100
Admit rate69%
- 16,301 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 54%, close to 54%
- Enrollment 16,301 students, close to 14,729
Match #10
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
Profile closeness87/100
Admit rate86%
- 10,004 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 55%, close to 54%
- Enrollment 10,004 students, close to 14,729
Questions about Western Kentucky University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Western Kentucky University?
The closest matches to Western Kentucky University are Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University-Kentucky, University of Louisville, Northern Kentucky University, and Morehead State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Western Kentucky University hard to get into?
Western Kentucky University admitted 98% of its 7,255 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 0 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Western Kentucky University alternatives cost less?
4 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Western Kentucky University ($12,395 a year), including Murray State University-Kentucky ($7,350), Northern Kentucky University ($8,976), and Morehead State University ($10,471). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
