Best Community Colleges in Kentucky 2024

BEST IN KENTUCKY COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Kentucky offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.

10 Best Community Colleges in Kentucky

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  1. Bluegrass Community and Technical College
  2. West Kentucky Community and Technical College
  3. Ashland Community and Technical College
  4. Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
  5. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
  6. Henderson Community College
  7. Jefferson Community and Technical College
  8. Gateway Community and Technical College
  9. Hazard Community and Technical College
  10. Somerset Community College
    1. Jefferson Community and Technical College 23 to 1
    2. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College 22 to 1
    3. Owensboro Community and Technical College 19 to 1
    4. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College 19 to 1
    5. Maysville Community and Technical College 18 to 1
    6. Bluegrass Community and Technical College 18 to 1
    7. Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College 17 to 1
    8. Gateway Community and Technical College 17 to 1
    9. Ashland Community and Technical College 16 to 1
    10. Hopkinsville Community College 16 to 1
    1. Jefferson Community and Technical College $4,296
    2. Ashland Community and Technical College $4,296
    3. Hazard Community and Technical College $4,296
    4. Madisonville Community College $4,296
    5. Henderson Community College $4,296
    6. Big Sandy Community and Technical College $4,296
    7. Hopkinsville Community College $4,296
    8. Owensboro Community and Technical College $4,296
    9. West Kentucky Community and Technical College $4,296
    10. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College $4,296
      1. Maysville Community and Technical College
      2. Hopkinsville Community College
      3. Owensboro Community and Technical College
      4. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
      5. Big Sandy Community and Technical College
      6. Madisonville Community College
      7. Somerset Community College
      8. Hazard Community and Technical College
      9. Gateway Community and Technical College
      10. Jefferson Community and Technical College
        1. Madisonville Community College 14 to 1
        2. Hazard Community and Technical College 15 to 1
        3. Henderson Community College 15 to 1
        4. Big Sandy Community and Technical College 15 to 1
        5. Ashland Community and Technical College 16 to 1
        6. Hopkinsville Community College 16 to 1
        7. West Kentucky Community and Technical College 16 to 1
        8. Somerset Community College 16 to 1
        9. Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College 17 to 1
        10. Gateway Community and Technical College 17 to 1
        1. Jefferson Community and Technical College $4,296
        2. Ashland Community and Technical College $4,296
        3. Hazard Community and Technical College $4,296
        4. Madisonville Community College $4,296
        5. Henderson Community College $4,296
        6. Big Sandy Community and Technical College $4,296
        7. Hopkinsville Community College $4,296
        8. Owensboro Community and Technical College $4,296
        9. West Kentucky Community and Technical College $4,296
        10. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College $4,296

          Colleges and Universities in Kentucky

          Students who wish to attend traditional and online colleges in Kentucky have plenty of excellent options. Traditional students and distance learners alike have an array of affordable, accessible, and reputable undergraduate and graduate degrees to choose from.

          Between community colleges, technical schools, and universities, Kentucky has 24 public schools. The community colleges and technical schools average $4,000 for tuition, and tuition for public universities ranges from $8,000 to $12,000. Online students pay the same in state tuition rates when enrolling in these public options.

          Prospective students planning to attend private colleges can choose from 26 schools, of which 21 are religiously affiliated. The cost to attend private schools tends to be higher, reaching $42,000 in Kentucky. There are, however, some affordable private options with tuition rates as low as $9,000.

          Find college admissions consultants in your state.

          The largest and top-rated public university is the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky has over 30,000 students and costs about $12,000. UK offers a wide range of traditional and fully online programs in areas like political science, chemistry, and literature.

          Students who attend either the University of Louisville or Western Kentucky University will become part of a friendly basketball rivalry. Both of these universities also offer highly regarded graduate and undergraduate degrees in fields like mathematics, communications, business, and history.

          Eastern Kentucky University is also among the top public colleges in Kentucky, with more than 14,000 students enrolled in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

          In addition, Kentucky encourages graduating education students to apply for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. This financial aid program awards $5,000 to $17,500 toward Federal Stafford loans to those remaining in the profession.

          There is something for everyone in The Bluegrass State. Kentucky is home to the famous Kentucky Derby, the Daniel Boone National Forest, and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Both traditional and online Students wanting to study in a state that Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali called home have 50 higher learning institutions from which to choose.

          Kentucky has it all - associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Check out the top brick-and-mortar and online schools the state of Kentucky has to offer.


          What are Kentucky’s Colleges & Universities?

          Kentucky’s Best Overall

          Kentucky's Best Community Colleges Badge
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          We’ve identified 16 community colleges in Kentucky. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Kentucky.

          If you’re interested in an online associate degree, visit our best online associate degrees in Kentucky page.

          Best Community Colleges in Kentucky

          1. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            53%

            Student body

            3K

            What is West Kentucky Community and Technical College known for?

            West Kentucky Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          2. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            48%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Ashland Community and Technical College known for?

            Ashland Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          3. Tuition + fees

            $5K

            Graduation

            31%

            Student body

            6K

            What is Jefferson Community and Technical College known for?

            Jefferson Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          4. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            34%

            Student body

            3K

            What is Somerset Community College known for?

            Somerset Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          5. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            32%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Big Sandy Community and Technical College known for?

            Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          6. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            44%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Hazard Community and Technical College known for?

            Hazard Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          7. Tuition + fees

            $5K

            Graduation

            56%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Gateway Community and Technical College known for?

            Gateway Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          8. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            37%

            Student body

            1K

            What is Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College known for?

            Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          9. #12

            Madisonville Community College

            Madisonville , KY

            Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            52%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Madisonville Community College known for?

            Madisonville Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          10. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            43%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College known for?

            Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          11. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            42%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Owensboro Community and Technical College known for?

            Owensboro Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          12. #15

            Hopkinsville Community College

            Hopkinsville , KY

            Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            41%

            Student body

            1K

            What is Hopkinsville Community College known for?

            Hopkinsville Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          13. Tuition + fees

            $4K

            Graduation

            47%

            Student body

            2K

            What is Maysville Community and Technical College known for?

            Maysville Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

          2021 Ranking Archive

          Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

          1. West Kentucky Community and Technical College
          2. Big Sandy Community and Technical College
          3. Gateway Community and Technical College
          4. Bluegrass Community and Technical College
          5. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
          6. Henderson Community College
          7. Hazard Community and Technical College
          8. Jefferson Community and Technical College
          9. Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College
          10. Maysville Community and Technical College
          11. Ashland Community and Technical College
          12. Somerset Community College
          13. Owensboro Community and Technical College
          14. Madisonville Community College
          15. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
          16. Hopkinsville Community College

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