2022 best colleges in Kentucky
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
Admission rate: 33%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $5,184
Payback: 1.7 Years
Earnings: $37,154
Vs. state average: - $5,986
Economic score: 1.94
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Admission rate: 97%
Grad rate: 65%
Net cost: $17,127
Payback: 2.5 Years
Earnings: $54,458
Vs. state average: + $11,318
Economic score: 1.95
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 49%
Net cost: $9,049
Payback: 2.0 Years
Earnings: $44,814
Vs. state average: + $1,674
Economic score: 1.96
Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, Kentucky
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $19,161
Payback: 2.7 Years
Earnings: $55,566
Vs. state average: + $12,426
Economic score: 2.06
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 83%
Net cost: $22,251
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $57,976
Vs. state average: + $14,836
Economic score: 2.47
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Admission rate: 66%
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $16,867
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $49,875
Vs. state average: + $6,735
Economic score: 2.61
Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky
Admission rate: 83%
Grad rate: 67%
Net cost: $23,121
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $52,312
Vs. state average: + $9,172
Economic score: 2.79
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky
Admission rate: 78%
Grad rate: 57%
Net cost: $11,390
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $41,894
Vs. state average: - $1,246
Economic score: 2.97
Georgetown College
Georgetown, Kentucky
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $17,300
Payback: 4.0 Years
Earnings: $45,697
Vs. state average: + $2,557
Economic score: 3.80
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Admission rate: 98%
Grad rate: 48%
Net cost: $11,962
Payback: 3.5 Years
Earnings: $39,268
Vs. state average: - $3,872
Economic score: 3.82
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky
Admission rate: 93%
Grad rate: 75%
Net cost: $23,906
Payback: 4.7 Years
Earnings: $49,994
Vs. state average: + $6,854
Economic score: 4.01
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky
Admission rate: 98%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $14,149
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $40,500
Vs. state average: - $2,640
Economic score: 4.10
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky
Admission rate: 82%
Grad rate: 55%
Net cost: $16,894
Payback: 4.2 Years
Earnings: $41,506
Vs. state average: - $1,634
Economic score: 4.39
Spalding University
Louisville, Kentucky
Admission rate: 94%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $25,992
Payback: 5.2 Years
Earnings: $47,088
Vs. state average: + $3,948
Economic score: 4.72
Morehead State University
Morehead, Kentucky
Admission rate: 77%
Grad rate: 49%
Net cost: $12,421
Payback: 4.1 Years
Earnings: $37,486
Vs. state average: - $5,654
Economic score: 4.73
University of Pikeville
Pikeville, Kentucky
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 54%
Net cost: $18,406
Payback: 5.3 Years
Earnings: $41,466
Vs. state average: - $1,674
Economic score: 5.52
Asbury University
Wilmore, Kentucky
Admission rate: 76%
Grad rate: 61%
Net cost: $27,631
Payback: 6.6 Years
Earnings: $41,352
Vs. state average: - $1,788
Economic score: 6.93
Midway University
Midway, Kentucky
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $22,706
Payback: 6.6 Years
Earnings: $38,294
Vs. state average: - $4,846
Economic score: 7.44
Lindsey Wilson College
Columbia, Kentucky
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 49%
Net cost: $15,435
Payback: 7.4 Years
Earnings: $32,910
Vs. state average: - $10,230
Economic score: 9.70
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky
Admission rate: 84%
Grad rate: 30%
Net cost: $7,076
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $34,717
Vs. state average: - $8,423
Economic score: 3.77
