Quad

Head-to-head

Western Kentucky
Ferris State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Ferris State's grants cover 57% of its full price on average, vs. 35% at Western Kentucky

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Western Kentucky's yield is 15 pts higher than Ferris State's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Ferris State costs about $8.8K less per year on average than Western Kentucky ($11,793 vs. $20,555, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Ferris State grads earn $10.8K more ten years out than Western Kentucky's ($54,735 vs. $43,889)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Ferris State graduates 6 pts more of its students than Western Kentucky (60% vs. 54%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Ferris State's SAT midpoint is 60 points higher than Western Kentucky's

    SAT midpoint

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Ferris State admits 91%, Western Kentucky 94%; Western Kentucky's yield is higher, at 30%.

Acceptance rate
Western Kentucky94%
Ferris State91%
Quad's selectivity
  • Western KentuckyOpen
  • Ferris StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 700–1600
Western Kentucky
840–1050
Ferris State
890–1120
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Western KentuckyGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Ferris StateGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Western Kentucky is a bit larger than Ferris State (12,155 vs. 8,106 undergrads); Ferris State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Western Kentucky12.2K
Ferris State8.1K
Pell Grant share
Western Kentucky30%
Ferris State34%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at both; Ferris State has 15 students per faculty member to Western Kentucky's 19.

Students per faculty member
Western Kentucky19 to 1
Ferris State15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Western KentuckyBusiness Administration and Management, General7%
  • Ferris StateBusiness Administration and Management, General10%

What each costs

Ferris State costs about $8.8K less a year than Western Kentucky on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Western Kentucky$20.6K
Ferris State$11.8K
Aid generosity
Western Kentucky35%
Ferris State57%

What each pays off

Ferris State's former students earn more, a median $54.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Western Kentucky$43.9K
Ferris State$54.7K
Graduation rate
Western Kentucky54%
Ferris State60%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Ferris State got less selective while Western Kentucky held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Western KentuckyGrowing+16%
  • Ferris StateGrowing+20%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why