Quad
Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · Public

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General (6% of graduates). 16 students for every faculty member, more than at 72% of colleges. 63% of faculty are full-time. Spends $13,167 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

2,941 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 30% of graduates; 131 programs in 26 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General 49.01016.4% 187
    Graduates in this field earn $89,564 4 years out
  2. Finance, General 52.08016.3% 185
    Graduates in this field earn $72,353 4 years out
  3. Accounting 52.03016.2% 181
    Graduates in this field earn $66,666 4 years out
  4. Psychology, General 42.01015.8% 170
    Graduates in this field earn $50,655 4 years out
  5. Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 30.99995.0% 147
    Graduates in this field earn $54,597 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Business, 20% → 28% of graduates since 2014–15 (822 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Paper Science and Engineering$102,825 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $86,401

    4 years after completion$102,825
    National median: $102,121About typical

    Median federal debt: $27,379 · 31 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$95,469 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $76,145

    4 years after completion$95,469
    National median: $100,647Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $87,145 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 64 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$94,177 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $69,514

    4 years after completion$94,177
    National median: $98,207Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $82,527 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 85 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Industrial Engineering$92,306 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $74,670

    4 years after completion$92,306
    National median: $98,442Below typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 54 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Chemical Engineering$91,777 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $68,632

    4 years after completion$91,777
    National median: $98,158Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $74,649 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $27,758 · 93 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college16 to 1
16 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 72% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty63%
National median: 67%Below typical
Average faculty salary

$98,247

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$13,167
$13,167
← Lessmore than 69% of 557More →
Endowment per student$52,184
$52,184
← Lessmore than 90% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)