# Western Kentucky University: Finance (bachelor's)

Bowling Green, KY. IPEDS 157951, CIP 52.08. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-kentucky-university/majors/finance

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $44,355
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $70,313 (U.S. median for this major: $77,992 across 438 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $19,500 (U.S. median $23,250)
- Rank in KY: 4 of 7 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the KY median for this major (7 colleges, $70,313): +$0
- Versus the U.S. median: -$7,679

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.28 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $70,313 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,087 | $30,332 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $6,871 | $29,408 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $9,765 | $41,794 | 1.1 years |
| 75-110k | $14,049 | $60,130 | 1.6 years |
| 110k+ | $17,653 | $75,555 | 2.1 years |

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

## Finance at KY colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellarmine University | $84,262 | not reported | $21,499 | 64% |
| University of Kentucky | $84,087 | $22,375 | $18,851 | 71% |
| University of Louisville | $75,089 | $22,500 | $17,988 | 61% |
| Western Kentucky University | $70,313 | $19,500 | $10,990 | 56% |
| Northern Kentucky University | $68,409 | $25,287 | $8,191 | 52% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | $63,685 | $16,400 | $11,040 | 50% |
| Murray State University | $56,263 | $21,500 | $9,096 | 61% |

## Careers
- Financial analyst (SOC 13-2051): median wage $97,180 Bowling Green, KY, $81,660 KY, $102,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7.2% by 2035
- General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021): median wage $71,170 Bowling Green, KY, $79,370 KY, $105,770 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5% by 2035
- Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031): median wage $119,110 Bowling Green, KY, $130,650 KY, $166,570 U.S.; U.S. jobs 9.7% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

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).