# Western Michigan University (WMU)

Public college in Kalamazoo, MI. IPEDS ID 172699.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/western-michigan-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 85% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $15,273 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 58%; beats 50% of MI colleges and 58% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $53,562; beats 52% of MI colleges and 51% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $20,115

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $5,263 |
| 30-48k | $5,734 |
| 48-75k | $13,833 |
| 75-110k | $18,307 |
| 110k+ | $23,625 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.61 years on average (29% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $53,562 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $29,237 in-state; about $33,019 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $15,252 in-state, $19,034 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,713; books: $1,128

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 20,100 applicants, 17,020 admitted, 2,472 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 85%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 85%, ACT 20–27 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: gpa; important: rigor; considered: class rank, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, volunteer, work experience
- Early decision: not reported; early action: not reported; waitlist: not reported
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.55
- Source: https://files.wmich.edu/s3fs-public/2026-02/wmu_cds_2025-26.pdf

## Majors (99 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Science and Engineering | $86,401 | $102,825 | $27,379 |
| Electrical Engineering | $76,145 | $95,469 | $30,707 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $69,514 | $94,177 | $28,021 |
| Industrial Engineering | $74,670 | $92,306 | not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | $68,632 | $91,777 | $29,000 |
| Computer Science | $60,979 | $90,876 | $28,969 |
| Air Transportation | $34,872 | $89,564 | $27,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $67,992 | $88,746 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $68,260 | $87,477 | $31,000 |
| Drafting / Design Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $60,153 | $84,622 | $31,000 |
| Nursing | $75,149 | $83,449 | $28,850 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $63,665 | $82,740 | $29,875 |
| Civil Engineering | $69,706 | $78,368 | $29,156 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies / Technicians | $47,286 | $76,241 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $55,660 | $75,143 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $55,770 | $74,566 | $31,000 |
| Finance | $50,787 | $72,353 | $26,031 |
| Human Resources | $48,115 | $71,870 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $53,081 | $71,371 | $25,750 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | $68,351 | $26,668 |
| Accounting | $47,464 | $66,666 | $27,000 |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | $28,007 | $64,679 | $27,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $37,718 | $64,127 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $35,955 | $59,249 | $27,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $39,077 | $58,634 | $27,000 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $58,164 | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $58,023 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $39,614 | $57,012 | $27,000 |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | $56,487 | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | $56,449 | $26,990 |
| Political Science | $38,744 | $54,840 | $26,564 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $38,754 | $54,597 | $31,000 |
| Health Administration | $35,024 | $54,265 | $27,000 |
| Sociology | $35,399 | $51,835 | $25,585 |
| Communications | $31,169 | $51,446 | $26,000 |
| Special Education | $47,868 | $50,665 | $31,000 |
| Psychology | $28,890 | $50,655 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $26,676 | $50,134 | $26,000 |
| Geography | not reported | $49,921 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $37,205 | $49,850 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $42,468 | $49,340 | $29,000 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $35,209 | $49,286 | $29,539 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $48,065 | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $41,296 | $47,898 | $31,000 |
| History | $27,087 | $46,909 | $31,000 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $28,765 | $46,543 | $26,000 |
| Film and Photography | $26,502 | $45,391 | $27,000 |
| Dance | $21,540 | $45,108 | $27,000 |
| Theatre | $21,585 | $44,694 | $26,950 |
| English | not reported | $43,628 | $28,350 |
| Anthropology | $22,670 | $41,490 | $31,000 |
| Writing | $21,468 | $40,792 | $27,000 |
| International / Global Studies | $32,147 | $40,663 | $27,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $32,630 | $37,013 | $28,625 |
| Studio Art | $21,773 | $36,615 | $28,495 |
| Music | $24,775 | $36,254 | $27,000 |
| Food Science and Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $21,919 | not reported | not reported |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | $26,000 |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Manufacturing Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | $23,846 | not reported | $31,455 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Telecommunications Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Marketing → Marketing specialist: median wage $61,820 (Kalamazoo-Portage, MI), $66,780 (MI), $78,760 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $91,170 (Kalamazoo-Portage, MI), $93,640 (MI), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).