Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Kentucky provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.
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.
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.
This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 8 public universities in Kentucky. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Kentucky, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
68%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/25
University of Kentucky’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
62%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1160/24
University of Louisville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
54%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/22
Western Kentucky University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
48%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1060/22
Eastern Kentucky University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
48%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/23
Northern Kentucky University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
56%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/24
Murray State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
90%
Graduation
45%
Student body
7K
Morehead State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
37%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
955/17
Kentucky State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
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.
Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.