Best Colleges in Kentucky (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges in Kentucky covers 28 four-year institutions in Kentucky. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's overall score for Kentucky, highest first.
The score combines four pillars, weighted 30% return, 30% mobility, 20% access and 20% affordability, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. Berea College, a private nonprofit institution in Berea, ranks 1st on this list, with $42,924 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. Of the listed schools, 8 are public and 20 are private nonprofit.
Public institutions make up 29% of the Best Colleges in Kentucky list. Centre College reports the highest six-year completion rate on the page at 81%. Spalding University admits 99% of applicants, the highest admission rate among the listed schools.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berea College · Berea, KY | $42,924 | $6,106 | $5,428 | 19.3% |
| Berea College ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $42,924 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $67,853 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| University of Louisville, a public university in Louisville, has an average net price of $17,988 and a six-year completion rate of 61%. | |||||
| 3 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $65,922 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| An admission rate of 93% and median earnings of $65,922 for its graduates four years after completing are reported by University of Kentucky. | |||||
| 4 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | $54,691 | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
| Eastern Kentucky University ranks 4th on this list and posts an average net price of $11,040 alongside a six-year completion rate of 50%. | |||||
| 5 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $53,602 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University reports median earnings of $53,602 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $7,087 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of the Cumberlands · Williamsburg, KY | $51,882 | $14,107 | $10,736 | 98.8% |
| University of the Cumberlands admits 99% of applicants and reports median earnings of $51,882 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $58,429 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
| Northern Kentucky University has an average net price of $8,191 and a six-year completion rate of 52%, ranking 7th on this list. | |||||
| 8 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | $50,487 | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
| Murray State University reports median earnings of $50,487 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 86%. | |||||
| 9 | Clear Creek Baptist Bible College · Pineville, KY | $44,416 | $10,949 | $11,401 | Not reported |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College ranks 9th on this list and posts an average net price of $11,401 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Centre College · Danville, KY | $64,933 | $20,781 | $11,364 | 54.4% |
| Centre College reports a six-year completion rate of 81% and median earnings of $64,933 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $50,224 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University admits 77% of applicants and has an average net price of $9,793, ranking 11th on this list. | |||||
| 12 | Brescia University · Owensboro, KY | $51,492 | $8,709 | $8,977 | 35.2% |
| Brescia University reports median earnings of $51,492 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 35%. | |||||
| 13 | Lindsey Wilson University · Columbia, KY | $43,852 | $15,070 | $14,745 | Not reported |
| Lindsey Wilson University reports median earnings of $43,852 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 44%. | |||||
| 14 | Bellarmine University · Louisville, KY | $64,564 | $21,499 | $18,430 | 86.1% |
| Bellarmine University admits 86% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 64%. | |||||
| 15 | Kentucky State University · Frankfort, KY | $46,766 | $8,040 | $10,225 | 96.1% |
| Kentucky State University, a public university in Frankfort, has an average net price of $8,040 and an admission rate of 96%. | |||||
| 16 | Thomas More University · Crestview Hills, KY | $70,208 | $21,835 | $15,841 | 90.4% |
| Graduates of Thomas More University earn a median of $70,208 four years after completing, and the school admits 90% of applicants. | |||||
| 17 | University of Pikeville · Pikeville, KY | $55,132 | $20,311 | $13,115 | Not reported |
| University of Pikeville has a six-year completion rate of 42% and an average net price of $20,311. | |||||
| 18 | Alice Lloyd College · Pippa Passes, KY | $42,268 | $18,600 | $17,444 | 75.2% |
| Alice Lloyd College admits 75% of applicants and reports median earnings of $42,268 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary · Louisville, KY | $66,838 | Not reported | Not reported | 55.9% |
| The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary posts median earnings of $66,838 for its graduates four years after completing, with a six-year completion rate of 40%. | |||||
| 20 | Georgetown College · Georgetown, KY | $54,370 | $14,095 | $9,777 | 91.1% |
| Georgetown College has an average net price of $14,095 and an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 21 | Transylvania University · Lexington, KY | $50,923 | $21,913 | $14,551 | 86.6% |
| Transylvania University graduates 71% of its students within six years and reports median earnings of $50,923 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | 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. | |||||
| 23 | Union Commonwealth University · Barbourville, KY | $52,077 | $21,311 | $12,214 | 63.2% |
| Union Commonwealth University has a six-year completion rate of 32% and an admission rate of 63%. | |||||
| 24 | Kentucky Wesleyan College · Owensboro, KY | $45,592 | $17,131 | $13,951 | 71.6% |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College reports median earnings of $45,592 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $17,131. | |||||
| 25 | Campbellsville University · Campbellsville, KY | $47,650 | $19,341 | $17,880 | 79.7% |
| Campbellsville University reports median earnings of $47,650 for its graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $19,341. | |||||
| 26 | Midway University · Midway, KY | $54,588 | $29,579 | $27,206 | 95.1% |
| Midway University admits 95% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 41%. | |||||
| 27 | Kentucky Christian University · Grayson, KY | $52,466 | $24,038 | $23,241 | 60.9% |
| Kentucky Christian University ranks 1334th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an average net price of $23,241 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | Asbury University · Wilmore, KY | $45,728 | $21,401 | $18,455 | 63.4% |
| Asbury University graduates 65% of its students within six years, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $45,728 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's overall score for Kentucky, highest first. The score combines four pillars, weighted 30% return, 30% mobility, 20% access and 20% affordability, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The earnings figures cited for each school are the median earnings of its federally aided graduates across all fields, measured four years after completing, among those who were working and not enrolled. The list does not adjust for cost or for the backgrounds of who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Berea College leads the list, while University of Louisville follows in second. The 28 schools on the page include 8 public and 20 private nonprofit institutions.