More selective than 27% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $29,237. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of Michigan colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 52% of Michigan colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
WMU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 20,100 applicants, Western Michigan University admitted 17,020 and 2,472 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
WMU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Michigan residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What WMU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Western Michigan University took 4.6 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $5,263 | $24,262 | 1.2 years |
| $30–48k | $5,734 | $26,434 | 1.3 years |
| $48–75k | $13,833 | $63,770 | 3.2 years |
| $75–110k | $18,307 | $84,395 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $23,625 | $108,911 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($53,562) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,151 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
WMU majors, earnings & careers
Western Michigan University offers 99 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 14
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 14
- Business & Finance · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Health & Medicine · 11
- Science & Math · 11
- Arts & Design · 7
- Technology & Computing · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Trades & Applied Technology · 2
Highest-earning majors at WMU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Paper Science and Engineering | $102,825 | $27,379 |
| Electrical Engineering | $95,469 | $30,707 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $94,177 | $28,021 |
| Industrial Engineering | $92,306 | — |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,777 | $29,000 |
| Computer Science | $90,876 | $28,969 |
| Air Transportation | $89,564 | $27,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $88,746 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 99 majors
- Accounting$66,666
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$94,177
- Air Transportation$89,564
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$48,065
- Anthropology$41,490
- Apparel and Textiles$56,487
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$59,249
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business—
- Business Administration$75,143
- Business Economics—
- Chemical Engineering$91,777
- Chemistry—
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Civil Engineering$78,368
- Classics—
- Communications$51,446
- Computer and Information Sciences$74,566
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$90,876
- Criminal Justice$57,012
- Dance$45,108
- Data Analytics—
- Data Science—
- Dietetics$56,449
- Drafting / Design Engineering Technologies / Technicians$84,622
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,898
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,340
- Education, Other—
- Electrical Engineering$95,469
- Engineering-Related Fields$88,746
- Engineering, Other—
- English$43,628
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$45,391
- Finance$72,353
- Food Science and Technology—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geography$49,921
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$58,164
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$58,634
- Health Administration$54,265
- Health Sciences—
- History$46,909
- Human Development and Family Studies$49,286
- Human Resources$71,870
- Industrial Engineering$92,306
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$82,740
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies$40,663
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,134
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$71,371
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering$87,477
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$54,597
- Music$36,254
- Nursing$83,449
- Paper Science and Engineering$102,825
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$54,840
- Psychology$50,655
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$64,679
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$64,127
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$68,351
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$49,850
- Sociology$51,835
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$37,013
- Special Education$50,665
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$46,543
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$58,023
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$36,615
- Telecommunications Management—
- Theatre$44,694
- Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies / Technicians$76,241
- Writing$40,792
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Kalamazoo
Overall prices in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,158. Housing costs 18% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 33 inches of rain a year, 65 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Kalamazoo County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Kalamazoo County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare WMU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan University | 85% | $15,273 | 58% | $53,562 | This school |
| Oakland University | 88% | $9,120 | 58% | $58,612 | |
| Wayne State University | 81% | $12,766 | 58% | $53,493 | |
| Central Michigan University | 90% | $17,597 | 59% | $55,874 | |
| Eastern Michigan University | 80% | $15,407 | 46% | $51,793 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Western Michigan University would cost you $6,153 more per year than Oakland University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Western Michigan University, mostly from more Oakland University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$3,202).
- Oakland University gives aided families $2,098 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | WMU | OU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,252 | $15,262 | −$10 |
| Books & supplies | $1,128 | $700 | +$428 |
| Housing & meals | $11,713 | $11,309 | +$404 |
| Personal & travel | $2,631 | $2,600 | +$31 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,487 | −$4,689 | +$3,202 |
| Sticker price | $29,237 | $25,182 | +$4,055 |
| Average grants | −$13,964 | −$16,062 | +$2,098 |
| You pay | $15,273 | $9,120 | +$6,153 |
“+” means WMU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about WMU
What is the WMU acceptance rate?
Western Michigan University accepts 85% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 17,020 of 20,100 applicants were admitted.
How much does Western Michigan University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $29,237 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,273 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $5,263 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,625.
How much do WMU graduates earn?
Former Western Michigan University students earn a median $53,562 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the WMU graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a WMU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Western Michigan University costs about $63,770 after grants ($13,833 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,562 ten years after starting, $20,151 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is WMU the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Western Michigan University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).