Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Kentucky (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 28 four-year nonprofit institutions in Kentucky by Azimuth's mobility pillar. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Kentucky, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. University of Kentucky ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $65,922 for its graduates four years after completing.
University of Louisville follows at 2nd with median earnings of $67,853, and Centre College places 3rd at $64,933.
The list includes 8 public and 20 private nonprofit schools. Berea College posts the lowest average net price at $6,106, and Centre College holds the highest six-year completion rate at 81%.
Berea College ranks 166th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $65,922 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| University of Kentucky reports median earnings of $65,922 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
| 2 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $67,853 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| Graduates of University of Louisville earn a median of $67,853 four years after completing, and the university admits 79% of applicants. | |||||
| 3 | Centre College · Danville, KY | $64,933 | $20,781 | $11,364 | 54.4% |
| Centre College, a private nonprofit in Danville, posts a six-year completion rate of 81% and an average net price of $20,781. | |||||
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | $54,691 | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
| With an average net price of $11,040, Eastern Kentucky University ranks 4th on this list and reports median earnings of $54,691 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $53,602 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants and shows an average net price of $7,087 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Transylvania University · Lexington, KY | $50,923 | $21,913 | $14,551 | 86.6% |
| A six-year completion rate of 71% coincides with median earnings of $50,923 for graduates of Transylvania University four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | $50,487 | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
| Murray State University carries an average net price of $9,096 and a six-year completion rate of 61%. | |||||
| 8 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $58,429 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
| Northern Kentucky University reports an average net price of $2,603 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates earn a median of $58,429 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary · Louisville, KY | $66,838 | Not reported | Not reported | 55.9% |
| Graduates of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary earn a median of $66,838 four years after completing, and the institution admits 56% of applicants. | |||||
| 10 | Clear Creek Baptist Bible College · Pineville, KY | $44,416 | $10,949 | $11,401 | Not reported |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College ranks 10th on this list and posts a six-year completion rate of 38%. | |||||
| 11 | Berea College · Berea, KY | $42,924 | $6,106 | $5,428 | 19.3% |
| Berea College holds an Azimuth composite rank of 166th among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 19% of applicants. | |||||
| 12 | University of the Cumberlands · Williamsburg, KY | $51,882 | $14,107 | $10,736 | 98.8% |
| With an admission rate of 99%, University of the Cumberlands reports median earnings of $51,882 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $50,224 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University reports median earnings of $50,224 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,793. | |||||
| 14 | Brescia University · Owensboro, KY | $51,492 | $8,709 | $8,977 | 35.2% |
| Admitting 35% of applicants, Brescia University posts a six-year completion rate of 54% and graduate earnings of $51,492 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Bellarmine University · Louisville, KY | $64,564 | $21,499 | $18,430 | 86.1% |
| Bellarmine University ranks 15th on this list, with graduates across all fields earning a median of $64,564 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Asbury University · Wilmore, KY | $45,728 | $21,401 | $18,455 | 63.4% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 65%, Asbury University reports an average net price of $21,401 and median earnings of $45,728 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Alice Lloyd College · Pippa Passes, KY | $42,268 | $18,600 | $17,444 | 75.2% |
| Alice Lloyd College admits 75% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $42,268 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Kentucky State University · Frankfort, KY | $46,766 | $8,040 | $10,225 | 96.1% |
| A public university in Frankfort, Kentucky State University has an average net price of $8,040 and a six-year completion rate of 32%. | |||||
| 19 | Lindsey Wilson University · Columbia, KY | $43,852 | $15,070 | $14,745 | Not reported |
| Lindsey Wilson University ranks 19th on this list, with median earnings of $43,852 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,070. | |||||
| 20 | Midway University · Midway, KY | $54,588 | $29,579 | $27,206 | 95.1% |
| Graduates of Midway University earn a median of $54,588 four years after completing, and the school admits 95% of applicants. | |||||
| 21 | Kentucky Wesleyan College · Owensboro, KY | $45,592 | $17,131 | $13,951 | 71.6% |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College reports a six-year completion rate of 47% and an average net price of $13,951 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 22 | Thomas More University · Crestview Hills, KY | $70,208 | $21,835 | $15,841 | 90.4% |
| With median earnings of $70,208 for its graduates four years after completing, Thomas More University ranks 22nd on this list. | |||||
| 23 | Spalding University · Louisville, KY | $64,136 | $25,491 | $20,509 | 99.5% |
| Spalding University admits 99% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $64,136 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Georgetown College · Georgetown, KY | $54,370 | $14,095 | $9,777 | 91.1% |
| Georgetown College reports an average net price of $14,095 and a six-year completion rate of 49%. | |||||
| 25 | University of Pikeville · Pikeville, KY | $55,132 | $20,311 | $13,115 | Not reported |
| University of Pikeville reports median earnings of $55,132 for its graduates four years after completing, and a six-year completion rate of 42%. | |||||
| 26 | Kentucky Christian University · Grayson, KY | $52,466 | $24,038 | $23,241 | 60.9% |
| Kentucky Christian University admits 61% of applicants and shows an average net price of $23,241 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 27 | Union Commonwealth University · Barbourville, KY | $52,077 | $21,311 | $12,214 | 63.2% |
| Union Commonwealth University ranks 27th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 32% and an average net price of $21,311. | |||||
| 28 | Campbellsville University · Campbellsville, KY | $47,650 | $19,341 | $17,880 | 79.7% |
| Campbellsville University posts median earnings of $47,650 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 80%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Kentucky, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The earnings figures cited below are the median earnings of federally aided completers at each institution four years after completing, among those who were working and not enrolled. The list does not adjust for cost, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The 8 public and 20 private nonprofit schools on the page span a wide range of outcomes.