The average acceptance rate at WKU over the past 10 years is 96.03%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 93.87%. Compared to the previous year, it became slightly more competitive to gain admission to WKU in 2025. The acceptance rate at WKU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 35.53%, and the 2025 yield is 30.18%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 19.70% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of WKU applicants increased by 27.46% (2,120 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 9.86% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 93.87%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that WKU maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 30.18%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at WKU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, WKU received approximately 9,840 applications, admitted 9,237 students, and enrolled 2,788 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that WKU is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
WKU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at WKU over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 96.03%, while the most recent rate stands at 93.87%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 93.87%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 94.94% and for women is 96.74%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at WKU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 92.70% | 91.19% | 93.75% |
| 2016-17 | 94.02% 1.32% |
91.99% 0.79% |
95.36% 1.61% |
| 2017-18 | 95.45% 1.43% |
95.04% 3.05% |
95.72% 0.35% |
| 2018-19 | 97.21% 1.76% |
96.35% 1.32% |
97.73% 2.02% |
| 2019-20 | 97.26% 0.05% |
96.25% -0.10% |
97.83% 0.10% |
| 2020-21 | 97.75% 0.49% |
96.64% 0.39% |
98.38% 0.55% |
| 2021-22 | 98.00% 0.25% |
97.01% 0.37% |
99.00% 0.62% |
| 2022-23 | 96.95% -1.05% |
96.18% -0.83% |
97.38% -1.62% |
| 2023-24 | 97.05% 0.10% |
96.02% -0.16% |
97.63% 0.25% |
| 2024-25 | 93.87% -3.17% |
92.68% -3.34% |
94.57% -3.06% |
| Average | 96.03% | 94.94% | 96.74% |
WKU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 37.59% in 2015 to 30.18% in 2025, representing a 19.70% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 35.53%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at WKU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 19.70% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 37.59% | 39.10% | 36.56% |
| 2016-17 | 35.03% -2.56% |
37.05% -2.05% |
33.73% -2.83% |
| 2017-18 | 33.30% -1.73% |
35.10% -1.95% |
32.14% -1.59% |
| 2018-19 | 32.63% -0.67% |
34.94% -0.16% |
31.24% -0.90% |
| 2019-20 | 33.84% 1.22% |
35.44% 0.50% |
32.95% 1.72% |
| 2020-21 | 37.19% 3.35% |
37.80% 2.36% |
36.85% 3.90% |
| 2021-22 | 40.00% 2.81% |
41.01% 3.21% |
39.00% 2.15% |
| 2022-23 | 37.86% -2.14% |
39.24% -1.77% |
37.09% -1.91% |
| 2023-24 | 37.67% -0.20% |
39.79% 0.54% |
36.12% -0.97% |
| 2024-25 | 30.18% -7.48% |
31.78% -8.00% |
29.16% -6.96% |
| Average | 35.53% | 37.13% | 34.48% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 8,684, the average number of admitted is 8,328, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 2,940.
The number of WKU applicants increased by 27.46% (2,120 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 9.86% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Western Kentucky University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 8,957 | 8,303 | 3,121 |
| 2016-17 | 9,693 8.22% |
9,113 9.76% |
3,192 2.27% |
| 2017-18 | 9,804 1.15% |
9,358 2.69% |
3,116 -2.38% |
| 2018-19 | 9,250 -5.65% |
8,992 -3.91% |
2,934 -5.84% |
| 2019-20 | 8,245 -10.86% |
8,019 -10.82% |
2,714 -7.50% |
| 2020-21 | 8,574 3.99% |
8,381 4.51% |
3,117 14.85% |
| 2021-22 | 7,255 -15.38% |
7,110 -15.17% |
2,844 -8.76% |
| 2022-23 | 7,505 3.45% |
7,276 2.33% |
2,755 -3.13% |
| 2023-24 | 7,720 2.86% |
7,492 2.97% |
2,822 2.43% |
| 2024-25 | 9,840 27.46% |
9,237 23.29% |
2,788 -1.20% |
| Average | 8,684 | 8,328 | 2,940 |
The following table compares Western Kentucky University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | 97.05% | 93.87% | -3.28% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | 86.79% | 88.46% | -1.89% |
| Florida International University | 54.66% | 58.84% | -7.10% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | 99.92% | 99.90% | 0.02% |
| Louisiana Tech University | 86.40% | 72.57% | 19.06% |
| University of North Texas | 72.23% | 72.46% | -0.32% |
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