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Most schools have rolling admissions and financial help so you can start your degree in a few weeks!

Why This Matters

  • 34 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN KENTUCKY

    According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Kentucky include 8 public and 26 private non-profit options.

  • $11,390 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Kentucky is $11,390, according to College Board.

  • $15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID

    In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Kentucky. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by either the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) or Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). These organizations examine the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

Online College Programs That Might Interest You

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The Top 50 Colleges in Kentucky

Best Colleges In Kentucky
01

University of Louisville
01

Centre College
01

University of Kentucky
01

Bellarmine University
01

Berea College
01

Murray State University
01

Asbury University
01

Transylvania University
01

University of the Cumberlands
01

Northern Kentucky University
01

Spalding University
01

Campbellsville University
01

Western Kentucky University
01

Georgetown College
01

Brescia University
01

Thomas More University
01

Eastern Kentucky University
01

Morehead State University
01

Midway University
01

Kentucky Wesleyan College
01

University of Pikeville
01

Kentucky State University
01

Kentucky Christian University
01

Lindsey Wilson College
01

Union College
01

Alice Lloyd College

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What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Kentucky

When deciding on a major, you should consider the largest industries in Kentucky. As of May 2022, the top five industries are office and administrative support occupations, transportation and material moving, production, food preparation and serving, and sales.

You should also consider the fastest-growing occupations for those with a bachelor’s degree. In Kentucky, these jobs include music directors and composers, fashion designers, logisticians, medical and health services managers, and information security analysts.

Some of the largest employers in Kentucky include UofL Health, which has more than 18,000 employees, Humana, Ford, Haier, and Lexmark.

What’s Next?

Before applying for college in Kentucky, it’s important to explore the financial aid opportunities that are available to you. The resources listed below will help you find scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid that are offered to undergraduates:


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