Kentucky’s Best Private Colleges and Universities of 2021

Colleges and Universities in Kentucky

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. Those looking 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, but there are some affordable options with tuition rates as low as $9,000.

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The largest and top-rated public university is the University of Kentucky, which has over 30,000 students and costs about $12,000. Political science, chemistry, and literature are all possible majors. 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 varying fields of study, including mathematics, communications, business, and history. In addition, Kentucky encourages graduating education students to apply for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, which awards $5,000 to $17,500 toward Federal Stafford loans to those remaining 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. Students wanting to study where Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali both 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 programs and find which institution is the right one for you.

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What is a public college? And what is the difference between a private and public college?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models — one is a private company with private funding; the other is owned by the state and receives both state and federal funding to operate. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of private vs. public college, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a four-year degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a four-year public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually.

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This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 19 private universities in Kentucky; 9 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the best private universities in the state satisfies the following four conditions:

1. It must be a private, non-profit institution.
2. It must be fully accredited.
3. It must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
4. It must have a graduation rate of greater than 40%.

How do we determine Kentucky's best private colleges and universities?

The best colleges pound for pound!

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.

Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.

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.

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

Find out more about our ranking methodology here.

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Best Private Colleges & Universities in Kentucky

1. 

   #1

   Transylvania University

   #593 institution's overall influence

   #299 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $40K

   Acceptance

   92%

   Graduation

   76%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1215/26

   Lexington, KY

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   What is Transylvania University known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • James Hilary Mulligan
   • Thomas Marshall
2. 

   #2

   Berea College

   #1249 institution's overall influence

   #81 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $45K

   Acceptance

   33%

   Graduation

   66%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1194/25

   Berea, KY

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   What is Berea College known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Darrin Dorsey
   • Elizabeth Stumm
   • Mary E. Merritt
3. 

   #3

   Centre College

   #1064 institution's overall influence

   #773 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $43K

   Acceptance

   72%

   Graduation

   82%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1255/29

   Danville, KY

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   What is Centre College known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • W. B. Mathews
4. 

   #4

   Spalding University

   #3145 institution's overall influence

   #1236 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $25K

   Acceptance

   93%

   Graduation

   45%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1040/19

   Louisville, KY

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   What is Spalding University known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Foust
5. 

   #5

   Asbury University

   #2086 institution's overall influence

   #1272 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $31K

   Acceptance

   75%

   Graduation

   69%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1190/24

   Wilmore, KY

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   What is Asbury University known for?

   Asbury University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Religious Studies
   • Education
   • History
   • Business
   • Social Work
   • Medical
   • Communications
   • Political Science
   • Psychology
   • Literature

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Bill Huffman
   • Larry Davis
   • Stephen W. Wood
   • Shawn Okpebholo
   • J. E. L. Moore
6. 

   #6

   Bellarmine University

   #2258 institution's overall influence

   #849 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $42K

   Acceptance

   82%

   Graduation

   65%

   Student body

   3K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1160/25

   Louisville, KY

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   What is Bellarmine University known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • John James
   • Mike Pollio
7. 

   #7

   University of the Cumberlands

   #3645 institution's overall influence

   #580 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $10K

   Acceptance

   81%

   Graduation

   41%

   Student body

   11K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1035/21

   Williamsburg, KY

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   What is University of the Cumberlands known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Pleas Jones
   • Albert Robinson
   • Benito Santiago Jr.
8. 

   #8

   Georgetown College

   #2563 institution's overall influence

   #514 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $40K

   Acceptance

   72%

   Graduation

   53%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1161/24

   Georgetown, KY

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   What is Georgetown College known for?

   Georgetown College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • History
   • Political Science
   • Literature
   • Business
   • Biology
   • Sociology
   • Philosophy
   • Physics
   • Medical

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Tommy Restivo
   • Chris Hogan
   • Tom Dowling
   • Frank Browning
   • Dane Damron
   • Craig Schoen
   • Corky Withrow
   • Samuel F. Swope
   • Alexander B. Montgomery
   • John Daniel Clardy
   • James C. C. Black
   • Bob Jones
9. 

   #9

   Thomas More University

   #7343 institution's overall influence

   #694 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $32K

   Acceptance

   92%

   Graduation

   44%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1075/22

   Crestview Hills, KY

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   What is Thomas More University known for?

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Tim Nolan

Find Kentucky’s best private school for your interest