Best Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 10 schools in Kentucky for Art & Design by median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. University of Louisville leads with $43,651, followed by University of Kentucky at $42,942.
Across the 8 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $43,651 to $23,579, with a median of $39,594.
Public institutions account for 70% of the list. Berea College ranks 166th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the lowest average net price at $6,106.
University of Kentucky reports the highest six-year completion rate, graduating 71% of its students within six years.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $43,651 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| University of Louisville reports $43,651 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,988. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (58 graduates), Music (23 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($45,429), Music ($39,168) | |||||
| 2 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $42,942 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 71%, University of Kentucky admits 93% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Visual and Performing Arts, General (83 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (28 graduates), Music (27 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($62,966), Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management ($49,167), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($38,475) | |||||
| 3 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $41,841 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
| Northern Kentucky University, a public university in Highland Heights, carries an average net price of $8,191. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (50 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (46 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (21 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($47,343), Fine and Studio Arts ($42,684), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($35,624) | |||||
| 4 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $41,653 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University ranks 4th on this list with $41,653 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 56%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (63 graduates), Music (38 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($45,957), Music ($38,377) | |||||
| 5 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $37,534 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University posts a six-year completion rate of 52% and an average net price of $9,793. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (31 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (19 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($40,768), Fine and Studio Arts ($32,257) | |||||
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | $36,475 | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
| Eastern Kentucky University reports $36,475 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and ranks 382nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (27 graduates), Music (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($37,673), Fine and Studio Arts ($35,365) | |||||
| 7 | Spalding University · Louisville, KY | $36,416 | $25,491 | $20,509 | 99.5% |
| Spalding University, a private nonprofit university in Louisville, admits 99% of applicants and reports an average net price of $25,491. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (20 graduates) | |||||
| 8 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | No published median | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
| Murray State University graduates 61% of its students within six years and has an average net price of $9,096. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (26 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (23 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (6 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($38,192), Music ($36,697) | |||||
| 9 | Berea College · Berea, KY | No published median | $6,106 | $5,428 | 19.3% |
| Berea College admits 19% of applicants and carries the lowest average net price on the page at $6,106. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (7 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (6 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Bellarmine University · Louisville, KY | $23,579 | $21,499 | $18,430 | 86.1% |
| Bellarmine University reports $23,579 in median earnings for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 64%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (14 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (11 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (10 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Art & Design earnings cohort in Kentucky appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. University of Louisville leads University of Kentucky by $709, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $20,072.