About Western Michigan University

Founded in 1903, Western Michigan University. is a Public college. Located in Michigan, which is a city setting in Michigan, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 18,313 full time undergraduate students, and 4,914 full time graduate students.

The Western Michigan University Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 17:1. There are 867 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Western Michigan University include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate82%
Application Deadline
Application Fee40
SAT Range900-1115
ACT Range19-25

Admissions at WMU are considered Less Selective, with ,138% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 22 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

70% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 32% were in the top quarter, and 11% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE Reviews

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Western Michigan University.

2%
“We”re apathetic”
30%
“We know about current events and vote”
63%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
6%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
3%
“We save it for the classroom”
20%
“Sometimes, but not often”
60%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
17%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
7%
“I only go out in groups”
41%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
52%
“I feel extremely safe”
1%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
32%
“We bought the gear”
67%
“We live for the big game”
4%
“It”s not really our thing”
8%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
67%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
21%
“We”re a very artistic group”
2%
“Haven”t met them”
4%
“Available in class”
66%
“They keep regular office hours”
27%
“They”re always available”
2%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
17%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
77%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
4%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
2%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
15%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
52%
“We only party on weekends”
31%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
8%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
61%
“There might be people who do”
29%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
2%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
2%
“We”re apathetic”
30%
“We know about current events and vote”
63%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
6%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
3%
“We save it for the classroom”
20%
“Sometimes, but not often”
60%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
17%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
7%
“I only go out in groups”
41%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
52%
“I feel extremely safe”
1%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
32%
“We bought the gear”
67%
“We live for the big game”
4%
“It”s not really our thing”
8%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
67%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
21%
“We”re a very artistic group”
2%
“Haven”t met them”
4%
“Available in class”
66%
“They keep regular office hours”
27%
“They”re always available”
2%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
17%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
77%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
4%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
2%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
15%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
52%
“We only party on weekends”
31%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
8%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
61%
“There might be people who do”
29%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
2%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    298 Students rated on-campus housing 3.8 stars. 18 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    210 Students rated off-campus housing 4 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    319 Students rated campus food 3.8 stars. 26 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    334 Students rated campus facilities 4.2 stars. 35 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    335 Students rated class size 4 stars. 33 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    333 Students rated school activities 4.2 stars. 41 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    334 Students rated local services 4.2 stars. 50 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    334 Students rated academics 4.1 stars. 42 % gave the school a 5.0.

Western Michigan University REVIEWS

What's your overall opinion of Western Michigan University?

145 Students rated Western Michigan University

Dyamond - 11/22/2024

Western has an extremely active student body. They care about each individual and hope for everyone to succeed. They strive for fairness and want everyone to be equal. A lot of professors aren't overbearing and you have plenty of resources for school. The dining hall is nice and has various options. Sports are very important and we support each and every one. Overall, Western is a great place when you know exactly what you want and stay on top of everything. And even if you don't, they implement strategies to help you stay on top of it.

Ryleigh - 02/01/2023

Not a huge campus but also not small. Lots of kind people and you will always see people you know, but also have the opportunity to meet new people every day.

Haleigh - 08/03/2022

Western Michigan University has always been my dream school. The Campus is beautiful, the staff is always kind and ready to help, and the buildings are very well remodeled and beautiful. There are a lot of different options for community service in the area that are recommended to the students. WMU also has many options for clubs and groups that you can join for all kinds of people.

Reaghan - 06/10/2022

Like most places, it has its positives and negatives. Thankfully, the good outweighed the bad. It felt like we were in a little bubble while on campus. Once we left campus, we realized there was a world outside of Western. I enjoyed my time here for the most part; I was able to make friends and join a ton of clubs. It is a primarily inclusive environment, and I felt pretty safe. I loved most of my professors. I still talk to some of them years after taking their classes. I was able to relax and learn who I am while attending Western. I think not having familial influence helped me with that and counseling. I love that they took their students' mental health seriously and treated it like any other illness. Unfortunately, it was a little too dull living there (to me). It was in such a small, quiet town, too. Overall, I would recommend Western to anybody that likes to party, is studious, and is outgoing and friendly.

Western Michigan University FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Western Michigan University?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Western Michigan University is 82%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    Be prepared balance your time. It can feel liberating being away from your parents and having all the freedom in the world. It is important to put the time into studying and completing assignments early before your deadline so you will have plenty of time to hang out with friends. As much as you try to ignore the looming due date while you try to hang out, it never quite leaves your mind and you cannot really have fun. This will only cause you more stress later. Procrastination may seem like the easiest road to take at the time, but it does not pay off. Get your work done early!

    Read all 278 answers

  3. Describe the students at your school.

    My classmates are very helpful. THey seem to be very outgoing and willing tohelp with anything anyone would need for class. They are always asking questions and getting others involved and keeping their minds active. I really enjoy going to class with the people in my classes.

    Read all 83 answers

  4. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    Western Michigan is a great place to meet people, learn the field you are interested in and start you adult life.

    Read all 64 answers

  5. What's unique about your campus?

    I consider all of the student organizations to be the best thing because you can choose from so many and get involved! The student organizations are a great way to meet people, especially as a freshman. It is also provides a lot of opportunites for networking in the future and succeeding academically.

    Read all 57 answers

  6. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    The buildings could use remodeling.

    Read all 55 answers

  7. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    Our hockey team is really awesome. We have a strong sustainability program. We have several programs that were created here and are still number one in the country. The city is mostly a small college town, but there are still a lot of different things to do around Kalamazoo.

    Read all 50 answers

  8. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    The school I am going to now is known for it's education I program. Since I am going into special education, I considered a college that I could get a good education from, as well as a degree that looked good when I went to find a ob in the future.

    Read all 47 answers

  9. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    GO BRONCOS!

    Read all 44 answers

  10. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    The best thing about WMU is the atomosphere. People are so friendly and you can feel the Bronco spirit in the air!!! WMU is just the right size for me! Others may prefer a smaller or larger school. That all depends on the person. I like the size because there are a lot of people, but not so many that if affects my schooling (class sizes) or my commute to classes. Kalamazoo is a "college town" in that there are 3 different places to enroll for higher education. Although there are a lot of college students, there are also a lot of families in the area. WMU's administration is much better over the past two years. We have a new president who is very involved and highly visible around campus and at special events! It really shows how much he cares about the university and that he is interested in getting to know everything about it! I think that there is a lot of school pride, but I must say that I see to many people wearing apparel from other schools. Michigan and Michigan State apparel are very common and I would like to see that diminish. I understand that people are fans of Big 10 schools, but I would rather see Bronco apparel increase. Being an RA in Draper Siedschlag Residence Hall for 2 years will always be an experience that I will remember. Not only is it helping me now, but it's an experience that will help me continue to grow over the years for the rest of my life! Also, it has helped me meet lots of people and made me aware of all of the events that WMU has...it has truly made my entire experience at WMU so much better than I ever imagined. A major complaint that I hear is the cost of Parking Passes.

    Read all 43 answers

  11. What kind of person should attend this school?

    Anyone who is looking for a great experience, and wants something more out of life. Someone who wants to be a leader, and not a follower should attend this school. People who are looking for more one on one with professors, and smaller classrooms.

    Read all 42 answers

  12. What are the academics like at your school?

    I know my professors name and they know mine! My favorite classes are my Elementary Education classes. I love them ALL! Class participation is very common. I have a lot of discussion-based classes that are require involvement in order to get the most out of them! Some students are very competitive, while others are not very motivated at all... I'm in the Early Childhood Development major within Elementary Education. My minors are Science and Language Arts. Early childhood development basically means that I will be specialized in grades K-3rd and certified in grades K-5th. In terms of spending time with professors outside of class, I go to office hours, but only if I need to. I'm not the type to just stop by to chat. At least I haven't thus far! I'm glad that WMU is starting to try to get students out in 4 years. That needs to start happening again.

    Read all 40 answers

  13. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    This University is great for all types of students from all different backgrounds! You will not ever feel excluded or feel like you dont fit in... there is a place for everyone here and it's a great University to be able to succeed at!

    Read all 39 answers

  14. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    How the financial aid system works. I was really confused about how loans, grants, and cost of attendance worked together, and no one (including financial aid advisors at Western) was willing to really help me out. Last year, I was late to fill out my FAFSA due to my parent's late taxes- I lost out on a lot of money this way, and ended up having to take out a $10,000 private loan in order to pay for my first year I'm paying for my education, so I was pretty angry about this. C'est la vie!

    Read all 39 answers

  15. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    The Indian Students Association's performance for Western Michigan University's 18th annual International Festival.

    Read all 37 answers

  16. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    The program I'm in for business automatically gives us classes at terrible times and on the worst days of the week.

    Read all 34 answers

  17. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    no

    Read all 32 answers

  18. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    Party School Alcoholics Good Teaching Program Good Aviation Program Good Engineering Management Program Good Paper Engineering Program Increasingly better Engineering Program Big Campus/Small Campus feel Pretty Girls

    Read all 31 answers

  19. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    All colleges have stereotypes that can have good or bad representations about them, sometimes they are about partying, professors, top ratings in different degrees, etc. When going to college as a student you will learn that stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. All colleges including Western Michigan has stereotypes, but it’s what you do when you go to off to college that defines the school you are representing. There are athletes, fraternities, sororities, students who are eager to learn and all types of different students. There are going to be stereotypes about the different groups that represent the college you are attending, but going to college isn’t about the stereotypes its about the best kind of education that they are giving to the student body and to me that’s the only one I care to listen to. Western Michigan is the school I chose to transfer to because they had the good types of stereotypes that represented what I was looking for like smaller class sizes, professors who know my name and are eager to help you get the best education possible, and they are one of the top schools for my major. Stereotypes are accurate to some degree, but its important to learn whether they are what’s really important about going to college.

    Read all 16 answers

  20. Tell us about the sports scene on campus.

    very chill

    Read all 8 answers

  21. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    I decided to go to this school for the small community feel I got when I toured the campus, but the large university setting and convenience. It was far enough from home that I felt like it would be a solid change and the Kalamazoo area is a great place to be a college student.

    Read all 6 answers

Student Body

Students

50%

female

50%

male

18,313

Total Undergrad Enrollment

4,914

Total Grad Students

13%

Out-Of-State

85%

In-State

2%

International

Organizations

350

Student Organizations

16

Fraternities

10

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

25%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
2%
% Black or African-American
12%
% Hispanic/Latino
6%
% White or Caucasian
71%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

78% of students attending Western Michigan University receive some sort of financial aid. 34% were awarded federal grants. While 59% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$26,851

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$948

Books and Supplies

$9,561

Room and Board

37,360

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$12,453
$30 - $48K
$14,731
$48 - $75K
$17,412
$75 - $110K
$19,807
$110K & UP
$20,391

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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