Best Communication Colleges in Kentucky (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 16 Communication programs in Kentucky by median earnings of Communication graduates four years after completing. Thomas More University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $58,479 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 13 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $58,479 to $39,686, with a median of $49,941.
The list is evenly split between 8 public and 8 private nonprofit institutions. Berea College posts the lowest average net price at $6,106, and Berea College ranks 166th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Communication Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas More University · Crestview Hills, KY | $58,479 | $21,835 | $15,841 | 90.4% |
| Thomas More University reports $58,479 in median earnings of Communication graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (7 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $57,108 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| University of Kentucky posts a six-year completion rate of 71% and an admission rate of 93%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (199 graduates), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (162 graduates), Journalism (50 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($62,754), Communication and Media Studies ($55,653), Journalism ($52,785) | |||||
| 3 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $55,636 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| An average net price of $17,988 coincides with an Azimuth composite rank of 207th among nonprofit four-year institutions at University of Louisville. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (177 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($55,636) | |||||
| 4 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | No published median | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
| Murray State University ranks 4th on this list and carries an average net price of $6,242 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (55 graduates), Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (11 graduates), Journalism (9 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($58,265), Radio, Television, and Digital Communication ($45,127) | |||||
| 5 | Georgetown College · Georgetown, KY | $51,395 | $14,095 | $9,777 | 91.1% |
| Georgetown College shows median earnings of $51,395 for its Communication graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 49%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (18 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($51,395) | |||||
| 6 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $50,707 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| A public university in Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants and reports median earnings of $50,707 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (87 graduates), Journalism (59 graduates), Communication and Media Studies (40 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($53,839), Communication and Media Studies ($50,392), Journalism ($47,661) | |||||
| 7 | Bellarmine University · Louisville, KY | $50,665 | $21,499 | $18,430 | 86.1% |
| Bellarmine University has an average net price of $21,499 and ranks 783rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (42 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($50,665) | |||||
| 8 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $49,941 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
| Northern Kentucky University reports median earnings of $49,941 for its Communication graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $8,191. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (63 graduates), Journalism (39 graduates), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($53,082), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($49,989), Journalism ($44,834) | |||||
| 9 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $45,435 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University has a six-year completion rate of 52% and reports an average net price of $9,793. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (24 graduates), Communication and Media Studies (23 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($46,667), Communication and Media Studies ($44,149) | |||||
| 10 | Asbury University · Wilmore, KY | No published median | $21,401 | $18,455 | 63.4% |
| Asbury University ranks 1376th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 63% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (40 graduates), Communication and Media Studies (9 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Radio, Television, and Digital Communication ($46,016) | |||||
| 11 | Kentucky State University · Frankfort, KY | $42,363 | $8,040 | $10,225 | 96.1% |
| Kentucky State University posts an admission rate of 96% and median earnings of $42,363 for its Communication graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Journalism (12 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Berea College · Berea, KY | $41,723 | $6,106 | $5,428 | 19.3% |
| Berea College is the most selective school on the list, admitting 19% of applicants, and carries an average net price of $6,106. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (15 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($41,723) | |||||
| 13 | University of the Cumberlands · Williamsburg, KY | $40,699 | $14,107 | $10,736 | 98.8% |
| University of the Cumberlands admits 99% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 50%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (19 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | University of Pikeville · Pikeville, KY | $39,943 | $20,311 | $13,115 | Not reported |
| With an average net price of $13,115 for families earning under $30,000, University of Pikeville ranks 14th on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (13 graduates) | |||||
| 15 | Lindsey Wilson University · Columbia, KY | $39,686 | $15,070 | $14,745 | Not reported |
| Lindsey Wilson University reports median earnings of $39,686 for its Communication graduates four years after completing, and a six-year completion rate of 44%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (27 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Communication and Media Studies ($39,686) | |||||
| 16 | Eastern Kentucky University · Richmond, KY | No published median | $11,040 | $8,591 | 77.6% |
| Eastern Kentucky University, a public university in Richmond, ranks 382nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Communication and Media Studies (41 graduates), Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (22 graduates), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (9 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($49,272), Radio, Television, and Digital Communication ($41,368) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Communication graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Communication earnings cohort in Kentucky appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing the program. It 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 13 schools with a published figure. Thomas More University leads the list at $58,479, and the gap to second-ranked University of Kentucky is $1,371.