Best Private Colleges in Kentucky 2024

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Kentucky.

Thomas More University 96%
Transylvania University 92%
Spalding University 90%
Bellarmine University 86%
University of the Cumberlands 85%
Midway University 78%
Campbellsville University 78%
Asbury University 77%
Georgetown College 75%
Centre College 68%

Alice Lloyd College 21 to 1
University of the Cumberlands 20 to 1
Union College, Kentucky 17 to 1
Lindsey Wilson College 16 to 1
Midway University 15 to 1
Campbellsville University 14 to 1
Thomas More University 14 to 1
Kentucky Wesleyan College 14 to 1
University of Pikeville 14 to 1
Bellarmine University 13 to 1

Centre College $46,000
Bellarmine University $44,920
Berea College $43,612
Transylvania University $42,520
Georgetown College $41,200
Thomas More University $34,760
Asbury University $32,652
Kentucky Wesleyan College $29,660
Union College, Kentucky $28,889
Brescia University $26,950

Sullivan University $15,840
Brescia University $15,500
Bellarmine University $13,652
Spalding University $12,006
Georgetown College $11,070
Thomas More University $10,440
Asbury University $9,990
Lindsey Wilson College $9,548
Campbellsville University $8,473
University of Pikeville $8,370

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

Berea College 33%
Alice Lloyd College 36%
Brescia University 53%
Union College, Kentucky 56%
Kentucky Christian University 58%
Kentucky Wesleyan College 67%
Centre College 68%
Georgetown College 75%
Asbury University 77%
Campbellsville University 78%

Berea College 9 to 1
Centre College 10 to 1
Transylvania University 10 to 1
Sullivan University 10 to 1
Spalding University 11 to 1
Brescia University 11 to 1
Asbury University 12 to 1
Georgetown College 12 to 1
Kentucky Christian University 12 to 1
Bellarmine University 13 to 1

University of the Cumberlands $9,875
Sullivan University $13,500
Alice Lloyd College $14,230
Kentucky Christian University $22,130
University of Pikeville $22,650
Midway University $24,850
Campbellsville University $25,000
Lindsey Wilson College $25,718
Spalding University $26,550
Brescia University $26,950

University of the Cumberlands $4,282
Kentucky Christian University $4,950
Midway University $7,314
Union College, Kentucky $8,160
University of Pikeville $8,370
Campbellsville University $8,473
Lindsey Wilson College $9,548
Asbury University $9,990
Thomas More University $10,440
Georgetown College $11,070

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.

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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

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, 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 bachelor’s 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. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

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

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.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 19 private universities in Kentucky. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Kentucky, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.