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State profile · 87 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Kentucky

Colleges in Kentucky from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

87
Colleges
$37,854
Avg 10-yr earnings (70 of 87)
77.8%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Kentucky · the picture in one line

Kentucky's 70 of 87 colleges that report earnings average $37,854 in 10-year former-student earnings - 47th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#47
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$66,240
top earnings - Centre College
77.8%
avg acceptance (28 reporting)
24 / 28 / 35
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Kentucky colleges with reported figures: Georgetown College.

Kentucky · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Kentucky, University of Kentucky leads by undergraduate enrollment (24,763 students, #1 of 69) but ranks #7 of 69 on 10-year median earnings ($59,025), while Centre College tops earnings at $66,240 (#1 of 69) with 1,400 students (#31 of 69). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

24,763
University of enrollment #1
$66,240
Centre College earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#7
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Kentucky's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Kentucky is largest by enrollment; Centre College leads on 10-year earnings at $66,240.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Kentucky returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Kentucky as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Kentucky by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Kentucky

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Kentucky colleges: earnings vs. cost

Kentucky colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Kentucky colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $26K $65K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $20K Avg Net Price ($) University of Kentucky: $59K earn · $19K net · 71% grad University of Kent… University of Louisville: $54K earn · $18K net · 61% grad University of Loui… Eastern Kentucky University: $46K earn · $11K net · 50% grad Eastern Kentucky U… Western Kentucky University: $44K earn · $11K net · 55% grad Western Kentucky U… Northern Kentucky University: $50K earn · $8K net · 50% grad Northern Kentucky … Bluegrass Community and Technical College: $36K earn · $6K net · 40% grad Bluegrass Communit… Jefferson Community and Technical College: $38K earn · $6K net · 33% grad University of the Cumberlands: $45K earn · $14K net · 48% grad Murray State University: $45K earn · $9K net · 60% grad Galen College of Nursing-Louisville: $61K earn · $19K net · 62% grad Morehead State University: $43K earn · $10K net · 50% grad Somerset Community College: $31K earn · $4K net · 42% grad Elizabethtown Community and Technical College: $36K earn · $5K net · 54% grad Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College: $34K earn · $4K net · 55% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Kentucky ranks among the states

Kentucky's average 10-year earnings of $37,854 place it in the 18th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Kentucky: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$37,854 18th percentile higher than 18% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Above this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. KY $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Kentucky vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Kentucky

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Kentucky

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
87
Total Schools
$17,237
Avg In-State Tuition (53 of 87)
77.8%
Avg Acceptance Rate (28 of 87)
$37,854
Avg Median Earnings (70 of 87)
24 Public 28 Private NP 35 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Kentucky

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 87 postsecondary institutions in Kentucky. The ownership mix is 24 public institutions, 28 private nonprofits, and 35 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 53 of 87 Kentucky institutions that report one is $17,237, and the average admission rate among the 28 that report one sits at 77.8%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 70 of 87 Kentucky colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $37,854, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Kentucky

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Kentucky Lexington Public 24,763 92.9% $59,025
University of Louisville Louisville Public 14,727 79.4% $53,899
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond Public 12,318 77.6% $45,795
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green Public 12,155 93.9% $43,889
Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights Public 8,246 67.7% $50,220
Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington Public 8,244 - $36,343
Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville Public 7,744 - $38,171
University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg Private NP 6,941 98.8% $45,036
Murray State University Murray Public 6,688 85.7% $44,737
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville Louisville For-Profit 4,801 - $61,480
Morehead State University Morehead Public 4,578 77.2% $43,197
Somerset Community College Somerset Public 4,166 - $30,787
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown Public 4,088 - $36,143
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green Public 3,308 - $34,242
Gateway Community and Technical College Florence Public 3,167 - $36,147
West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah Public 2,851 - $34,891
Campbellsville University Campbellsville Private NP 2,840 79.7% $41,583
Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro Public 2,648 - $35,798
Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville Public 2,284 - $32,194
Bellarmine University Louisville Private NP 2,161 86.1% $62,069
Sullivan University Louisville For-Profit 2,026 - $38,008
Madisonville Community College Madisonville Public 1,841 - $35,733
Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland Public 1,721 - $29,482
Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland Public 1,631 - $34,504
Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville Public 1,630 - $36,323
Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg Public 1,604 - $32,954
Lindsey Wilson University Columbia Private NP 1,585 - $41,129
Berea College Berea Private NP 1,513 19.3% $43,150
Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard Public 1,506 - $29,868
Asbury University Wilmore Private NP 1,420 63.4% $42,368
Centre College Danville Private NP 1,400 54.4% $66,240
Kentucky State University Frankfort Public 1,309 96.1% $36,382
Thomas More University Crestview Hills Private NP 1,293 90.3% $59,384
Midway University Midway Private NP 1,262 95.1% $44,246
University of Pikeville Pikeville Private NP 1,135 - $48,231
Georgetown College Georgetown Private NP 1,097 91.1% $52,074
Transylvania University Lexington Private NP 1,005 86.6% $54,705
Henderson Community College Henderson Public 880 - $35,714
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville Private NP 848 55.9% -
Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro Private NP 842 71.6% $46,747
Union Commonwealth University Barbourville Private NP 746 63.1% $42,002
Spalding University Louisville Private NP 583 99.5% $49,438
Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes Private NP 558 75.2% $40,573
Brescia University Owensboro Private NP 545 35.2% $45,500
Beckfield College-Florence Florence For-Profit 536 - $37,114
MedQuest College Louisville For-Profit 524 - -
Simmons College of Kentucky Louisville Private NP 481 100.0% -
Kentucky Christian University Grayson Private NP 429 60.9% $42,375
ATA College Louisville For-Profit 363 - $34,577
Galen College of Nursing-ARH Hazard For-Profit 350 - $61,480
American National University-Louisville Louisville For-Profit 347 - $28,188
Medical Career & Technical College Richmond For-Profit 235 - -
Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville Louisville For-Profit 233 - $28,449
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Bowling Green For-Profit 219 - $20,392
Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education Lexington Private NP 203 - $20,156
Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington Lexington For-Profit 189 - $23,207
Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown Elizabethtown For-Profit 171 - $24,022
Galen Health Institutes-Pikeville Pikeville For-Profit 169 - $61,480
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Pineville Private NP 159 - $41,623
Summit Salon Academy-Lexington Lexington For-Profit 154 81.3% $24,148
Kentucky Welding Institute Flemingsburg For-Profit 143 - -
Empire Beauty School-Florence Florence For-Profit 124 - $23,925
Empire Beauty School-Dixie Louisville For-Profit 119 - $24,397
Interactive College of Technology-Newport Newport For-Profit 101 - $27,065
Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Louisville For-Profit 100 - $23,921
Ross College-Hopkinsville Hopkinsville For-Profit 90 - $29,898
American College of Barbering Louisville For-Profit 84 - -
Lexington Healing Arts Academy Lexington For-Profit 78 - $33,193
Ross Medical Education Center-Erlanger Erlanger For-Profit 77 - $29,898
Kentucky Mountain Bible College Jackson Private NP 69 100.0% $21,256
Ross Medical Education Center-Bowling Green Bowling Green For-Profit 57 - $30,060
Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology Bowling Green For-Profit 56 - $14,602
Edge Academy of Beauty Manchester For-Profit 56 - -
Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training Newport Private NP 53 - $24,540
Appalachian Beauty School Belfry For-Profit 49 - -
South Eastern Beauty Academy Paintsville For-Profit 45 - -
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Glasgow For-Profit 44 - $18,537
Berea Beauty Academy Berea For-Profit 40 - -
Ross Medical Education Center-Owensboro Owensboro For-Profit 38 - $30,481
Kentucky Horseshoeing School Richmond For-Profit 31 - -
Regina Webb Academy Bowling Green For-Profit 23 - -
Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore Private NP - - -
Frontier Nursing University Versailles Private NP - - -
Lexington Theological Seminary Lexington Private NP - - -
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Louisville Private NP - - -
PJ's College of Cosmetology- Louisville Louisville For-Profit - - $20,392
American College of Barbering - Florence Florence For-Profit - - -

Featured Colleges in Kentucky

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
24,763 students
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
14,727 students
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
12,318 students
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY
12,155 students
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
8,246 students
Compare University of Kentucky vs University of Louisville →

Explore more Kentucky data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Kentucky applicants

  • Kentucky has 87 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Kentucky colleges is 77.8% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.