About WKU
About WKU
The flat path is easy, but for the inspired there is a spirit that kindles a desire to climb higher.
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 over 72,000 residents. We are located approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville.
Schedule a campus tour or view our virtual tour to explore our distinctive campus on a hill overlooking the city.
Students across Kentucky and surrounding regions choose Western Kentucky University for our nationally recognized programs, vibrant campus life, and supportive community. With more than 170 undergraduate academic programs, including majors, minors, and pre-professional tracks, WKU provides the right path for every student. Our top-ranked programs in Journalism and Broadcasting, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Business prepare graduates to excel in life beyond the Hill.
WKU also offers a number of associate degree programs, along with certificates and concentrations to develop career readiness skills and prepare for the workforce.
Whether you want to advance in your current field or explore a new career path, Graduate Studies at WKU offers pathways to unlock your potential. WKU offers over 100 graduate academic programs, including masters, specialist and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificates, certifications, ranks, and endorsements. Many of our programs offer 100% online or hybrid options that have been designed with the working professional in mind.
Hilltoppers know that life at the top is worth the climb.
The WKU Mission
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.
Learn about our vision and values
Scholars
Each year, WKU students earn national recognition in prestigious academic scholarship competitions. With support from the Office of Scholar Development, Hilltoppers 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, Udall Scholarship, and National Science Foundation Undergraduate and Graduate Research Fellowships.
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 $1.5 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.
WKU has also been named a Boren Top Performing Institution for the second year in a row. In 2025, WKUtied for 3rd in the nation for Boren Scholarships, exceeding the average selection rate by more than 50%. 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.
Academic Rankings
Multiple programs were recognized in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs, with WKU’s online bachelor’s program ranking 77th nationally, making it the second-best program in Kentucky. Additionally, nine Western Kentucky University graduate programs have been ranked among the best in the country in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings.
WKU’s online undergraduate business program ranked 32nd in the nation, and the veteran’s bachelor’s program placed 47th. The veteran’s MBA program climbed to 45th, and veteran’s graduate education ranked 37th nationally.
For the second consecutive year, WKU has also been recognized as the best college in Kentucky for military-affiliated students, earning a top fifty ranking on the 2025 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges rankings. Additionally, after being named a Military Friendly® School for the past 17 years, WKU has been designated a Top Ten 2026-2027 Military Friendly® and Military Spouse Friendly School.
Alumni
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, serve as an Alumni Ambassador or First-Gen Alumni Advocate 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.
ADMINISTRATION
The President’s Cabinet is comprised of the University President and senior administrators. These individuals report to the President and are responsible for working together to determine University policy and provide strategic leadership and oversight of all functions of the institution.
ACCREDITATIONS
Western Kentucky University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. Western Kentucky University also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Western Kentucky University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
COLLEGES
"Since I was little, I have seen myself as someone who would go on to do something extraordinary. I could not be more thankful for such an opportunity
that would only be available to me here at WKU.”
Tomo Brown, WKU Honors College
THE SPIRIT MAKES THE MASTER
The Colonnade Program is the name of WKU’s distinctive General Education curriculum. WKU adopted the Colonnade Program in 2014 to ensure that each student possesses certain academic skills, a breadth of human knowledge, and an appreciation for the diversity of ideas and perspectives that exist in the nation and world.
Whether you’re starting your journey with a high school diploma or GED or you’ve earned an undergraduate degree already and are looking for new challenges, we have fully online programs as well as hybrid options to help you reach new heights. WKU Online provides access to 90 online degrees and certificate programs, including more than 50 associate, bachelor and master’s degrees. Our online bachelor's degree program has been ranked in the top 5 in Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report, with several individual programs annually earning spots on the rankings as well.
Gatton Academy of Mathematics & Science in Kentucky
WKU is home to the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, Kentucky’s first two-year residential STEM program for gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. Gatton Academy students come from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky to conduct research with professors, study abroad, and attend college classes while pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematical careers.
Graduate Studies serves both as the point of contact for prospective and new graduate students and as a liaison between students and faculty members of all graduate programs. We are ready to share information and to offer further direction for graduate study in more than 100 degree and certificate programs.
The Mahurin Honors College at WKU
The Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College (MHC) combines rigorous coursework with transformative experiences to enrich the academic journey and prepare students for a dynamic world. By providing personalized academic opportunities, dedicated support from academic advisors, and meaningful extracurricular activities, the Mahurin Honors College helps students challenge themselves, explore their passions, and pursue their dreams.
“I was recruited by 5 to 10 schools for soccer.
I chose WKU because it was the one campus that actually felt like home.”
Shayna Dheel, WKU Soccer
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.