The 2025 tuition & fees of Western Kentucky University is $11,652 for in-state and $27,000 for out-of-state students. WKU's tuition & fees remain the same as last year.
Its tuition & fees is a little bit lower than the average tuition for Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' tuition of $30,771 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at WKU is $11,872 for Kentucky residents and $27,000 for out-of-state students, the same as current year.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $11,436 | $27,000 | $30,055 |
| 2024-2025 | $11,652 | $27,000 | $30,771 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 1.89% | 0.00% | 2.38% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $11,872 | $27,000 | $31,504 |
The living costs at WKU is $15,066 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 4.25% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 3.67%.
The WKU's 2025 COA is $27,718 for in-state and $43,066 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $31,422 for in-state and $46,770 for out-of-state students.
87% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $9,681. It could cover 35.86% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $18,037 for in-state and $33,385 for out-of-state students..
| On-Campus | Off-Campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $11,652 | $27,000 | $11,652 | $27,000 |
| Room & Board | $12,582 | $12,582 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $2,484 | $6,188 | ||
| Books & Supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | ||
| COA | $27,718 | $43,066 | $31,422 | $46,770 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $18,037 | $33,385 | $21,741 | $37,089 |
WKU's 4-years tuition is $47,151 for in-state and $108,000 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
Since the tuition & fees at Western Kentucky University have not been increased over the last 4 years, the estimated tuition & fees are the same as the current cost. The actual cost may differ from the estimation based on the school or university system's tuition policy.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $11,706 | $11,760 | $11,815 | $11,870 | $47,151 |
| Out-of-State | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $108,000 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $11,760 | $11,815 | $11,870 | $11,925 | $47,369 |
| Out-of-State | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $108,000 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $11,815 | $11,870 | $11,925 | $11,980 | $47,589 |
| Out-of-State | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $108,000 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $11,870 | $11,925 | $11,980 | $12,035 | $47,809 |
| Out-of-State | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $108,000 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $11,925 | $11,980 | $12,035 | $12,091 | $48,031 |
| Out-of-State | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | $108,000 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $112,965 for Kentucky residents and $173,815 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $27,926 | $28,135 | $28,346 | $28,559 | $112,965 |
| Out-of-State | $43,220 | $43,375 | $43,531 | $43,689 | $173,815 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $28,135 | $28,346 | $28,559 | $28,774 | $113,814 |
| Out-of-State | $43,375 | $43,531 | $43,689 | $43,849 | $174,445 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $28,346 | $28,559 | $28,774 | $28,991 | $114,669 |
| Out-of-State | $43,531 | $43,689 | $43,849 | $44,011 | $175,081 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $28,559 | $28,774 | $28,991 | $29,209 | $115,533 |
| Out-of-State | $43,689 | $43,849 | $44,011 | $44,174 | $175,723 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $28,774 | $28,991 | $29,209 | $29,430 | $116,403 |
| Out-of-State | $43,849 | $44,011 | $44,174 | $44,339 | $176,373 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $74,241 for Kentucky residents and $135,091 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $18,245 | $18,454 | $18,665 | $18,878 | $74,241 |
| Out-of-State | $33,539 | $33,694 | $33,850 | $34,008 | $135,091 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $18,454 | $18,665 | $18,878 | $19,093 | $75,090 |
| Out-of-State | $33,694 | $33,850 | $34,008 | $34,168 | $135,721 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $18,665 | $18,878 | $19,093 | $19,310 | $75,945 |
| Out-of-State | $33,850 | $34,008 | $34,168 | $34,330 | $136,357 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $18,878 | $19,093 | $19,310 | $19,528 | $76,809 |
| Out-of-State | $34,008 | $34,168 | $34,330 | $34,493 | $136,999 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $19,093 | $19,310 | $19,528 | $19,749 | $77,679 |
| Out-of-State | $34,168 | $34,330 | $34,493 | $34,658 | $137,649 |
The graduate school tuition at Western Kentucky University is $12,140 for in-state and $18,340 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at WKU graduate program page.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $12,140 | $18,340 |
| 2024-2025 | $12,140 | $18,340 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| 2025-2026 | $12,140 | $18,340 |
For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at WKU is $486 for Kentucky residents and $1,125 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $607 for Kentucky residents and $917 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2023-2024 | $477 | $1,125 |
| 2024-2025 | $486 | $1,125 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $495 | $1,125 | |
| Graduate | 2023-2024 | $607 | $917 |
| 2024-2025 | $607 | $917 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $607 | $917 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at WKU. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between Western Kentucky University and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | $11,652 | $27,000 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | $9,326 | $22,249 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | $9,998 | $11,998 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $7,239 | $22,492 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | $9,544 | $25,502 |
| Florida International University | $6,565 | $18,964 |
In-State (Kentucky Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $112,965, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $11,870 per year, which would total around $47,151 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $173,815. The tuition and fees are around $27,000 per year, totaling about $108,000 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at WKU is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($10,456 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at WKU is higher than the average for similar schools ($19,644 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The in-state graduate tuition at WKU is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($10,983 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at WKU is about the same as the average for similar schools ($18,377 - public Doctoral / Research University).
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