Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Western Kentucky University, Jackson State University, Savannah State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Western KentuckyBowling Green, KY | Jackson StateJackson, MS | Savannah StateSavannah, GA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 93.9% | 93.2% | Not reportedNot reported by Savannah State University in the most recent federal collection. |
| SAT middle 50% | 840–1050 | 820–1070 | Not reportedSavannah State University did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $10,99030.5% on Pell grants | $23,83672.3% on Pell grants | $8,17267.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $11,652 in-state · $27,000 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $8,965 in-state · $11,965 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $5,750 in-state · $19,043 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.6% | 50.9% | 28.0% |
| First-year retention | 78.3% | 62.4% | 74.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 30.5% | 72.3% | 67.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,889 | $39,060 | $37,981 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,095 | $30,470 | $28,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | 15:1 | 21:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 12,155 | 4,600 | 2,833 |
| Consensus percentile | 61Lower is better | 60Lower is better | 64Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 80 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 68 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Western Kentucky | Jackson State | Savannah State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #363 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #363 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #112 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #486 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #290 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #688 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #482 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #496 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #488 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #886 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #945 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #778 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Western Kentucky University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Jackson State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Savannah State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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