Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky 2024

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN KENTUCKY LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Kentucky offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.

10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky

Berea College
Eastern Kentucky University
Murray State University
Transylvania University
Centre College
Morehead State University
Campbellsville University
University of Pikeville
Georgetown College
Kentucky State University

Transylvania University
Berea College
Centre College
Eastern Kentucky University
Murray State University
Kentucky State University
Morehead State University
Georgetown College
Asbury University
University of Pikeville

Alice Lloyd College 98%
Thomas More University 94%
Midway University 94%
Kentucky State University 91%
Transylvania University 91%
Morehead State University 84%
Murray State University 84%
Asbury University 79%
Georgetown College 72%
Kentucky Wesleyan College 69%

Campbellsville University 23 to 1
Lindsey Wilson College 17 to 1
Alice Lloyd College 16 to 1
Murray State University 16 to 1
Eastern Kentucky University 16 to 1
Midway University 15 to 1
University of Pikeville 15 to 1
Thomas More University 14 to 1
Georgetown College 14 to 1
Morehead State University 14 to 1

Centre College $48,070
Berea College $45,026
Transylvania University $43,670
Georgetown College $41,600
Thomas More University $35,810
Asbury University $33,146
Kentucky Wesleyan College $31,300
Union College $30,946
Brescia University $27,950
Lindsey Wilson College $26,228

Sullivan University $15,840
Brescia University $15,500
Georgetown College $11,070
Thomas More University $11,050
Union College $11,040
Morehead State University $10,260
Eastern Kentucky University $10,008
Lindsey Wilson College $9,635
Murray State University $9,144
Campbellsville University $8,904

Kentucky Christian University
Thomas More University
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Alice Lloyd College
Brescia University
Midway University
Lindsey Wilson College
Union College
Asbury University
Sullivan University

Lindsey Wilson College
Midway University
Thomas More University
Alice Lloyd College
Union College
Kentucky Christian University
Brescia University
Sullivan University
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Campbellsville University

Berea College 25%
Kentucky Christian University 44%
Brescia University 50%
Union College 53%
Centre College 63%
Eastern Kentucky University 64%
Kentucky Wesleyan College 69%
Georgetown College 72%
Asbury University 79%
Murray State University 84%

Berea College 8 to 1
Union College 9 to 1
Brescia University 9 to 1
Transylvania University 10 to 1
Centre College 10 to 1
Kentucky State University 11 to 1
Asbury University 11 to 1
Kentucky Wesleyan College 12 to 1
Sullivan University 13 to 1
Kentucky Christian University 13 to 1

Kentucky State University $7,854
Murray State University $8,196
Morehead State University $9,240
Eastern Kentucky University $9,544
Sullivan University $14,220
Alice Lloyd College $14,250
University of Pikeville $23,150
Kentucky Christian University $23,700
Midway University $25,050
Campbellsville University $26,100

Kentucky Christian University $4,950
Kentucky State University $6,501
Midway University $7,200
Asbury University $8,550
University of Pikeville $8,550
Campbellsville University $8,904
Murray State University $9,144
Lindsey Wilson College $9,635
Eastern Kentucky University $10,008
Morehead State University $10,260

Table of Contents

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

How do we determine Kentucky's best liberal arts colleges?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified 20 liberal arts colleges in Kentucky. To be ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in Kentucky, schools must fully accredited institutions.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky 2023

Build your own college rankings

Kentucky’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky 2024

10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky

Colleges and Universities in Kentucky

What are Kentucky’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Kentucky 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Berea College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eastern Kentucky University

Most Influential Alumni

Eastern Kentucky University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Murray State University

Most Influential Alumni

Murray State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Transylvania University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Centre College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Morehead State University

Most Influential Alumni

Morehead State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Campbellsville University

Most Influential Alumni

Campbellsville University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Pikeville

Most Influential Alumni

University of Pikeville’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Georgetown College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Kentucky State University

Most Influential Alumni

Kentucky State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Sullivan University

Sullivan University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Asbury University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Union College, Kentucky

Most Influential Alumni

Union College, Kentucky’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Lindsey Wilson College

Most Influential Alumni

Lindsey Wilson College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Midway University

Midway University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Brescia University

Brescia University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Alice Lloyd College

Career Outlook for degree at Kentucky Wesleyan College

Most Influential Alumni

Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Thomas More University

Most Influential Alumni

Thomas More University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Kentucky Christian University

Kentucky Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Kentucky’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest