Western Michigan University

What are the graduation rates for students at Western Michigan University?

Western Michigan University's reported six-year graduation rate is 58% for the first-time, full-time undergraduate cohort measured in the 2024-25 IPEDS reporting period. Its four-year rate is 32%. These rates follow defined entering cohorts; they are not percentages of everyone who enrolled in a given year.

The difference between the four- and six-year rates is useful for planning: a substantial share of the measured cohort completed after the fourth year. An additional year can change the total cost of a degree even when annual tuition stays the same. WMU's reported first-year retention rate is 81%, measuring a different outcome - whether students continue to the next academic year.

Standard first-time, full-time graduation rates do not describe transfer students' outcomes in the same way, and they do not explain why an individual student did or did not finish. Applicants should consider their own program's course sequence, credit-transfer results, and expected enrollment intensity alongside these institution-wide figures.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Western Michigan University?

College Scorecard program figures provide a limited look at earnings approximately one year after completion for federally aided former students in programs with reportable data. They are program-level medians, not salary offers or predictions for an individual graduate.

For example, the reported one-year median is about $66,118 for computer science and $62,429 for registered nursing. The corresponding figure for business administration, management, and operations is about $49,945. Differences between programs can reflect occupations, additional schooling, geography, work hours, and the graduates included in the measure - not simply the value of a degree.

One year is an early point in a career, particularly in fields where graduates commonly pursue further education or licensing. These figures also omit outcomes that the earnings measure does not capture. Students comparing majors should consider program costs, likely debt, completion requirements, and longer-term career paths rather than treating a single earnings number as a guaranteed result.