[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/)

# Best Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Programs in this field[Music](/rankings/best-music-programs-in-kentucky/)

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](/school/university-of-louisville/majors/) leads with $43,651, followed by [University of Kentucky](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) 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

10 schools in list order

| 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](/school/university-of-louisville/majors/) reports [$43,651 in median earnings](/school/university-of-louisville/outcomes/) 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%](/school/university-of-kentucky/outcomes/), [University of Kentucky](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) 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](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/), a public university in Highland Heights, carries an [average net price of $8,191](/school/northern-kentucky-university/cost/). |
|  | 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](/school/western-kentucky-university/majors/) ranks 4th on this list with [$41,653 in median earnings](/school/western-kentucky-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/morehead-state-university/majors/) posts a [six-year completion rate of 52%](/school/morehead-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/majors/) reports [$36,475 in median earnings](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/murray-state-university/majors/) [graduates 61% of its students within six years](/school/murray-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/berea-college/majors/) [admits 19% of applicants](/school/berea-college/admissions/) 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Florida](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-florida/)
-   [Top Art & Design Colleges in California by Earnings](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Georgia](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-georgia/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in South Carolina](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-south-carolina/)
-   Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky for Social Mobility