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Fountain Square Park, Bowling Green, KentuckyPhoto: OPMaster · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Bowling Green

Bowling Green is home to two colleges, with about 17,000 students on campus

Western Kentucky University (13,432 students on campus) and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (3,457) are inside the city. About 15% of Bowling Green’s residents are enrolled in college, above Kentucky (6%).

Western Kentucky UniversitySouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Bowling Green. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
16,889 students on campus
Nearest college
1.4 mi
Western Kentucky University
Residents in college
15%
Above KY (6%)
Nearest community college
2.4 mi
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College · $4,728 tuition
Nearest public university
1.4 mi
Western Kentucky University · $11,652 in-state
Median household income
$49K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Bowling Green

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Two colleges within 2.4 milesWestern Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants. Together they have 16,889 students on campus.In-state price at Western Kentucky UniversityLiving in Kentucky, Western Kentucky University charges $11,652 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $27,000. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 2.4 miles awaySouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green: tuition and fees $4,728 a year for Kentucky residents.Students are 15% of residentsAbove Kentucky (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Bowling Green

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Bowling Green.

5 mi10 mi15 miWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling Green
University or collegeCommunity college
Western Kentucky UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 13,432 on campus · In Bowling Green94%admitted$11knet price56%graduate$44kearningsSouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,457 on campus · In Bowling Green$4knet price58%graduate$34kearningsTuition and fees: $4,728 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Bowling Green’s median household income ($48,873) falls.

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeIn Bowling Green · sticker $13,993 · tuition $4,728$3,531a year
Western Kentucky UniversityIn Bowling Green · sticker $24,188$9,765a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Bowling Green: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Western Kentucky UniversitySouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Western Kentucky University56% graduate$44k earnings$22k typical debt
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College58% graduate$34k earnings$10k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Bowling Green

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Bowling Green’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 19%Health professions 14%Liberal arts 7%Education 5%Communication 4%Psychology 4%Everything else 47%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesSouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College · 303 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsWestern Kentucky University · 182 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingWestern Kentucky University · 169 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesWestern Kentucky University · 151 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsWestern Kentucky University · 131 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessWestern Kentucky University · 123 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralWestern Kentucky University · 122 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
MarketingWestern Kentucky University · 86 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Bowling Green

Is Bowling Green a college town?

No. About 15 of every 100 Bowling Green residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Kentucky (6). The largest campus in the city, Western Kentucky University, has 13,432 students on campus.

What colleges are in Bowling Green?

Western Kentucky University and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Bowling Green, and what does it cost?

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College in Bowling Green, 2.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,728 a year for Kentucky residents; the federal net price, $3,537, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Western Kentucky University cost if we live in Kentucky?

Tuition and fees are $11,652 a year in-state and $27,000 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $7,087 (under $30,000 income) to $17,653 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bowling Green. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →