Real costs by school · Bowling Green, KY · Public
At Western Kentucky University, families earning $75,000–$110,000 paid an average of $14,049 per year — the published cost of attendance is $24,188. (Federal College Scorecard data, July 2026 refresh.)
| Household income | Avg net price / yr | ≈ four years* |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $7,087 / yr | $29,872 |
| $30–48k | $6,871 / yr | $28,961 |
| $48–75k | $9,765 / yr | $41,159 |
| $75–110k | $14,049 / yr | $59,217 |
| Over $110k | $17,653 / yr | $74,407 |
*Four-year figures grow each year's price by 3.5% — the same method College Compass uses in a family's plan. "Net price" is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education — not a calculator's estimate. Federal reporting groups every income above $110k into one band; families well above it often pay closer to the full cost.
Why three likely admits is the floor for a safe season →
Parent PLUS loans: the caps and the trap →
| Admit rate | 94% published — federal data |
|---|
Nine questions, then Western Kentucky University's odds for your student with the math shown — plus your income band's price and its deadlines. First three schools free.
Run Western Kentucky University for your student →At $75,000–$110,000 of household income, the distance between Western Kentucky University's published sticker price and what families in that band actually paid is $10,139 a year — a 42% discount off the number on the brochure. That ranks it the cheapest of the 4 Kentucky schools on this site at that income. Graduates report a median $43,889 10 years out — roughly 74% of the four-year cost at this income band.
Earnings and completion from federal reporting — not the school's own placement survey.
These are averages. Your family isn't average.
Run Western Kentucky University against your student's real GPA, your income band, and your actual high school — odds with the math shown, the paperwork it requires, and its deadlines on one plan. First three schools free.
North Carolina A & T State University · Eastern Kentucky University · University of Alabama at Birmingham