Colleges
Colleges in Kentucky
Kentucky has 26 four-year colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: 8 public and 18 private. The largest is University of Kentucky, with 24,763 undergraduates.
| School | City | Type | Undergrads | Acceptance rate | SAT middle 50% | In-state tuition | Avg. net price | Grad rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | Lexington | public | 24,763 | 92.9% | 1070–1290 | $13,502 | $18,851 | 71.4% |
| University of Louisville | Louisville | public | 14,727 | 79.4% | 1040–1270 | $13,136 | $17,988 | 61.2% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond | public | 12,318 | 77.6% | 880–1080 | $10,320 | $11,040 | 50% |
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green | public | 12,155 | 93.9% | 840–1050 | $11,652 | $10,990 | 55.6% |
| Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights | public | 8,246 | 67.7% | 953–1150 | $11,088 | $8,191 | 52.2% |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg | private | 6,941 | 98.8% | $9,875 | $14,107 | 50.4% | |
| Murray State University | Murray | public | 6,688 | 85.7% | 940–1170 | $9,900 | $9,096 | 61.3% |
| Morehead State University | Morehead | public | 4,578 | 77.2% | $10,024 | $9,793 | 52.2% | |
| Campbellsville University | Campbellsville | private | 2,840 | 79.7% | $27,998 | $19,341 | 42% | |
| Bellarmine University | Louisville | private | 2,161 | 86.1% | 1030–1250 | $48,770 | $21,499 | 64.4% |
| Lindsey Wilson University | Columbia | private | 1,585 | $27,808 | $15,070 | 44.1% | ||
| Berea College | Berea | private | 1,513 | 19.3% | 1156–1335 | $51,658 | $6,106 | 58.2% |
| Asbury University | Wilmore | private | 1,420 | 63.4% | $33,640 | $21,401 | 65% | |
| Centre College | Danville | private | 1,400 | 54.4% | 1160–1450 | $52,820 | $20,781 | 80.7% |
| Kentucky State University | Frankfort | public | 1,309 | 96.1% | $9,387 | $8,040 | 31.9% | |
| Thomas More University | Crestview Hills | private | 1,293 | 90.4% | 1030–1230 | $39,800 | $21,835 | 40.5% |
| Midway University | Midway | private | 1,262 | 95.1% | 1100–1170 | $27,220 | $29,579 | 40.7% |
| University of Pikeville | Pikeville | private | 1,135 | $24,850 | $20,311 | 41.7% | ||
| Georgetown College | Georgetown | private | 1,097 | 91.1% | 960–1160 | $42,840 | $14,095 | 48.9% |
| Transylvania University | Lexington | private | 1,005 | 86.6% | 1120–1380 | $46,870 | $21,913 | 71.5% |
| The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary | Louisville | private | 848 | 55.9% | 1010–1230 | $11,046 | 40.3% | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College | Owensboro | private | 842 | 71.6% | 890–1130 | $34,673 | $17,131 | 46.8% |
| Union Commonwealth University | Barbourville | private | 746 | 63.2% | $30,946 | $21,311 | 32.1% | |
| Spalding University | Louisville | private | 583 | 99.5% | 875–1038 | $29,200 | $25,491 | 51.7% |
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes | private | 558 | 75.2% | 710–960 | $13,960 | $18,600 | 38.9% |
| Brescia University | Owensboro | private | 545 | 35.2% | $31,550 | $8,709 | 53.7% |
A blank cell means the school did not report that figure. Net price is the average cost after grants for students receiving federal aid. Graduation rate is within six years.
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Frequently asked questions
How many colleges are in Kentucky?
26 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates, 8 public and 18 private, according to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Community colleges, for-profit schools, and online-only schools are not counted.
What is the hardest college to get into in Kentucky?
By acceptance rate, Berea College (19.3%), Brescia University (35.2%), Centre College (54.4%), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (55.9%), Union Commonwealth University (63.2%) are the most selective.
What is the cheapest public college in Kentucky?
Kentucky State University has the lowest published in-state tuition and fees of the public four-year colleges here, at $9,387 a year. That is the sticker price before financial aid.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release. These are federal figures. Schools with a linked profile have also been checked against their own filings; the others have not.
