Overview
Western Michigan University Offers Personal Attention in the Midst of Expansive Resources
Western Michigan University (WMU) combines the resources of a national research university with the personal attention often found at much smaller and more expensive private colleges. One of the country's top public universities, WMU has never forgotten its roots as an institution devoted to helping students succeed in school, work, and life. Although WMU is a large, complex university enrolling nearly 25,000 students, it's really a community of small "neighborhoods." Individual students get to know their professors and become part of a vibrant, globally engaged intellectual community.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies Western Michigan University as one of fewer than 200 research universities in the entire nation. Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's premier honor society, has chosen to grant chapters to WMU and only ninety-nine other public institutions. The Lee Honors College, one of the oldest collegiate honors programs in the nation, is located at WMU.
"U.S. News & World Report" names Western Michigan among the nation's Top-100 Public Universities and the Midwest's Top-30 Universities.
Western Michigan University's Campuses Are Friendly, Vibrant, and "Green"
WMU's campuses encompass more than 1,200 acres and some of the finest instructional and performance spaces in the Midwest. The main campus is nestled among rolling hills in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and enjoys a growing reputation for it focus on sustainability. The campus is pedestrian-friendly, provides residence halls for up to 6,000 students, and has a park-like mix of trees, flowers, and open spaces.
The Parkview Campus is situated a few miles away and is home to WMU's highly rated engineering college and thriving Business Technology and Research Park. The nationally known College of Aviation is based at the W. K. Kellogg Airport in nearby Battle Creek. Both the aviation and Parkview campuses maintain strong partnerships that allow students to interact with business and industry professionals in real-world settings and become job-ready by the time they graduate.
Faculty members have been trained at some of the world's finest institutions and bring a global perspective to the classroom. These scholars enjoy teaching at the bachelor's level, have distinguished themselves nationally through their research, and welcome undergraduate students into their laboratories and creative studios.
WMU also attracts a diverse student body from across the United States as well as ninety other countries. The university offers a full complement of social, cultural, recreational, and spiritual amenities that include NCAA Division I-A and intramural sports; a large student recreation center; and more than 300 fraternities and sororities, national honor societies, professional associations, and personal-interest clubs.
Western Michigan University Provides Its Students With an Exceptional Learning Environment
WMU designs its academic programs so graduates can quickly add value to their work places or enter graduate and professional schools. Students have 237 programs from which to choose, 140 of at the bachelor's level and ninety-seven at the master's, specialist, and doctoral levels.
Among Michigan's fifteen public universities, WMU offers the second largest number of undergraduate majors. It has earned national and international recognition for providing outstanding programs in such areas as aviation, business, education, engineering, health and human services, and the fine arts and sciences.
In the classrooms, professors teach most undergraduate courses There's a student-faculty ratio of 19:1, and two thirds of all undergraduate classes have 30 or fewer students. The university offers countless opportunities for students to engage in internships, co-op placements, study abroad, field work, research, and community service.
Students Find That WMU Offers a Great Location for Undergraduate Education
WMU is situated near downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, a student-friendly city with a metropolitan-area population of about 240,000. The university is just 45 minutes by car from the sandy beaches of scenic Lake Michigan and only two and one-half hours from Detroit, Chicago, or Windsor, Canada.
The main campus is close to an airport and Amtrak station as well as I-94 and U.S. 131. A mosque, synagogue, Hindu temple, and churches are within walking distance. Both Kalamazoo and the surrounding region offer a wide array of shopping, restaurants, entertainment venues, museums, coffee houses, and pubs.
There's plenty to do nearly every weekend, from participating in monthly Art Hops and annual festivals to attending performances by top comics and bands. Students often head outdoors, enjoying the region's many parks, lakes, golf courses, and ski slopes. There are also miles of trails for cross-country skiing, hiking, and biking; a 40-mile bike trail winds from WMU through thick forests and picturesque communities to Lake Michigan.
The area supports three hospitals and more than 500 manufacturing facilities, including global companies like Eaton, Haworth, Kellogg's, Pfizer, Stryker, and Whirlpool. Many of those organizations offer internships to WMU students, while numerous theatrical, musical, and dance groups provide performance opportunities as well as entertainment.
Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study, Veterans Benefits, and Its Western Edge Initiative Make WMU Affordable
One of Michigan's most affordable universities, WMU annually awards $200 million in grants and scholarships, student loans, and work-study aid. Well-established programs provide financial and other specialized assistance to military veterans and former foster-care youths.
Initiatives to keep costs low include the Western Edge, which automatically saves undergraduates money by helping them find the right career path and quickly earn their degrees. It also includes a scholarship component and an option for living in a residence hall with no room and board increases for up to four years.
