U.S. News & World Report names Western Michigan University among the nation's top 100 public institutions and the top 30 in the Midwest.

WMU is Michigan's fourth largest higher education institution, attracting a diverse and culturally rich student body from across the United States and some 80 other countries. Its nearly 900 full-time faculty members have been trained at some of the world's finest institutions and they bring to the University a global perspective that enhances the learning environment.

WMU's campuses encompass more than 1,200 acres and 151 buildings. Its main campus, close to downtown Kalamazoo, features some of the finest instructional and performance facilities in the Midwest as well as residence halls equipped to house more than 5,700 students.  It includes a large, well-equipped student recreation center and state-of-the-art facilities for business, chemistry, science research, health and human services, and the visual and performing arts.  It is one of the 50 largest universities in the United States and it is situated midway between Chicago and Detroit, approximately 140 miles or 2 hours driving time from each city.

Founded in 1903, WMU rapidly grew from a regional teachers college to an internationally regarded institution of higher education. What was once Western Michigan College became Western Michigan University in 1957, when the state designated it as the fourth public university in Michigan, USA.