Western Kentucky University

Climb With Us!

Exceptional academic programs, applied learning opportunities, and world-renowned faculty are only part of what makes the WKU experience unparalleled. Your hopes, dreams and ideas are important to us. We strive to provide you with an environment where creativity is nurtured and intellect grows. WKU is a student centered, applied research university. That means we are dedicated to making sure you achieve your goals and graduate with skills for success. You will not only graduate with a diploma, you will enter the real world with experience that makes you stand out above the rest.

Facts and figures:

• 1 in 4 Campuses in the World Named a Safe Community
• Top 15 Cities on the Rise by Southern Living
• 22.7 average class size
• 93% Freshmen Receiving Scholarship Aid
• 200+ Academic Programs
• 16493 Total Enrollment

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.

WKU Statement of Purpose:

WKU is engaged in internationally acclaimed, student-and-learning-centered academic programs. The WKU experience occurs on several unique campus environments and through an overarching spirit which attracts an intellectually exciting and diverse family of the nation's best students. WKU provides students of all backgrounds with rigorous academic programs in education, the liberal arts and sciences, the health sciences, and business, with emphasis at the baccalaureate and masters levels, complemented by relevant associate and doctoral level programs. The University places a premium on student learning; it is committed to ensuring value in a holistic learning experience through high standards for student achievement and conduct, a strong faculty, technological innovation, personalized attention, broad access, and public accountability for actions and outcomes. Out-of-the-classroom and study abroad experiences enhance learning, promote diversity, and contribute to the success of students.

The University encourages engaged research and public service in support of economic development, quality of life, and improvement of education at all levels. WKU faculty contribute to the identification and solution of key social, economic, scientific, health, and environmental problems. An inspiring and talented faculty promotes a high level of creative activity and diverse scholarship and an entrepreneurial attitude designed to expand knowledge, improve instruction, increase learning, and provide applied solutions toward high-quality service to the state and nation. The University directly supports its constituents in its designated service areas of Kentucky with professional and technical expertise, cultural enrichment, and educational assistance.

Maintaining a campus of distinctive history and character, WKU sustains a student population of increasing quality. It fulfills its responsibility for access through its main and regional campuses, and through extensive distance learning opportunities. WKU recognizes that its mission continues to evolve in response to regional, national, and global changes, and the need for lifelong learning.

WKU Core Values:



Shared purposes and beliefs drive the decisions and actions of any organization or institution. The core values that undergird the foundations of WKU are reflected in the University’s vision, mission, and purpose statements, and in the goals of the strategic plan.

The rich heritage that is WKU's has been built upon a foundation of shared values that have withstood the test of time and the challenges of many changes. These values are deeply embedded in the words of WKU's first President, Dr. Henry Hardin Cherry, as he set forth a vision for this University:

• to be a live school and to impart to its students a burning zeal to do and be something
• to be progressive, to use modern methods and equipment, but reject all worthless educational fads
• to let the reputation of the school be sustained by real merit
• to “ring the rising bell in the human soul” by inspiring all students who come in touch with the work of the institution

Through the years, WKU students have enjoyed an intimate scholarly environment on a vibrant campus and are encouraged to become involved in community service, applied research and study abroad. A century of growth has made WKU a respected center of learning and a place where students can succeed on a global level.