Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Welcome to Western Kentucky University (WKU), home of the Hilltoppers. Our hilltop campus is a place of beauty and friendliness. WKU is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a city with a population of more than 60,000 approximately 110 miles south of more than 60,000 approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville. WKU's Regional Campuses are located in Glasgow, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown-Fort Knox. Schedule a tour or visit our virtual tour to view our distinctive landmark on a hill overlooking the city. WKU’s undergraduate division provides four-year programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Bachelor of Music, and the Bachelor of Social Work degrees. Ninety-four (94) academic majors that lead to the baccalaureate degree and seventy-five (75) academic minors are available. A number of professional and pre-professional advising tracks provide additional options. In addition, WKU offers six (6) associate degree programs, sixty-nine (69) certificate programs, forty-eight (48) master's degree programs, two (2) specialist degree programs and four (4) doctoral degree programs. WKU has been named a Gilman Top Producing Institution by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since 2001, over 300 WKU students have earned over $1 million as Gilman Scholars. Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships expand the population of U.S. students that study and intern abroad, ensuring more young Americans gain the professional skills, language abilities, and cultural competencies needed for successful careers that contribute to the country’s economic prosperity and national security. With an institutional record of 7 recipients in the last application cycle, WKU has also been named a Boren Top Performing Institution. Since 2012, 36 WKU applicants have been selected, exceeding the national selection rate by nearly 20%. The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are sponsored by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), a federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. Boren awardees receive significant early-career support after graduating, as well as preference in federal hiring. In the past academic year, WKU produced two of only five Goldwater Scholarship recipients among Kentucky institutions, demonstrating that nationally recognized research careers start on the Hill. WKU also recently celebrated its first Gaither Junior Fellow—one of only sixteen selected in the nation, alongside students from Harvard, Yale, Cornell, and Duke. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship identifies and honors university sophomores and juniors who excel in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) research, and the James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship funds international affairs research for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), one of the most important foreign policy think tanks in the world. The WKU family extends to a large community of alumni across the world. Students have started their climb with us, graduated, and moved on to become award-winning musicians and entertainers, groundbreaking scientists and researchers, nationally recognized educators, successful entrepreneurs and more. All of it began with their journey at WKU. We encourage our alumni to stay connected to WKU so they never feel far from the Hill! At alumni.wku.edu, you can update your information, read the latest news, find a chapter or affinity group, check out the latest issue of WKU SPIRIT magazine and more. As an alumnus, you can find new ways to be engaged with the Hill. Come to campus for events like Homecoming, raise your hand and serve as an Alumni Ambassador or First-Gen alumnus to help others, and even find resources to grow in your career. And don’t forget, giving back through your time, talent and personal resources is a WKU tradition. You can become a member of the WKU Alumni Association and take advantage of the member benefits. Western Kentucky University (WKU) prepares students of all backgrounds to be productive, engaged, and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society. The University provides research, service and lifelong learning opportunities for its students, faculty, and other constituents. WKU enriches the quality of life for those within its reach. Each year, WKU students earn national recognition in prestigious academic scholarship competitions. With support from the Office of Scholar Development, WKU have been selected for awards such as the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship, Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Critical Language Scholarship, Goldwater Scholarship, and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. ...view more