Kentucky vs. Louisville

Should I go to University of Kentucky or University of Louisville? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Kentucky or Louisville is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Kentucky vs. University of Louisville comparison
University of Kentucky University of Louisville College 3 College 4
University of Kentucky University of Louisville
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Overview

 Kentucky Louisville
Location Lexington, KY Louisville, KY
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 32,703 22,139
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #421 #411
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uky.edu louisville.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Kentucky Louisville
Tuition (In State) $11,849 $12,632
Tuition (Out of State) $32,043 $28,978
Room & Board $15,242 $11,690
Avg Net Price $19,838 $18,808
Avg Grant Aid $13,024 $13,148
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 95%

Admission

 Kentucky Louisville
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,233 14,821
Admitted 26,083 11,937
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 80.5%
Enrolled % 24.7% 26.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.64
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 19/27
SAT Range 1080/1290 1020/1250
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2025 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

 Kentucky Louisville
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 Kentucky Louisville
Graduation Rate 59% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,750 $19,656
Median Loan Payment $235 $203

Diversity

 Kentucky Louisville
% Men 9% 12%
% Women 17% 15%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 76%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

 Kentucky Louisville
% In-State 58% 74%
% Out-of-State 40% 25%

Campus

 Kentucky Louisville
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kentucky is larger than than Louisville based on total student enrollment (32,703 students vs. 22,139 students)

Kentucky vs. Louisville Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Kentucky or Louisville?

  • University of Louisville is 6.6% more expensive to attend than Kentucky for in-state tuition ($12,632.00 vs. $11,849.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.6% higher at Kentucky than University of Louisville ($32,043.00 vs. $28,978.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisville than Kentucky ($18,808 vs. $19,838)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Louisville are 30.4% lower than costs at University of Kentucky ($11,690 vs. $15,242)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kentucky than University of Louisville (96% vs. 95%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Louisville students is 1% larger than aid received University of Kentucky ($13,148 vs. $13,024)

Kentucky vs. Louisville Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Kentucky or Louisville? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Louisville or Kentucky .

  • The average SAT score at University of Louisville (1159) is 16 points higher than at Kentucky (1143)
  • Incoming Louisville students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Kentucky (25)
  • Accepted freshman Louisville students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.64) than students at Kentucky (3.59)
  • Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than Louisville (80.5%)

Kentucky vs. Louisville Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kentucky or Louisville? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Louisville and Kentucky.

  • The graduation rate at Kentucky is higher than University of Louisville (59% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from University of Kentucky earn on average $5,800 more per year than Louisville graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $45,200)
  • University of Louisville students graduate with a $3,094 lower median federal student loan debt than Kentucky graduates. ($19,656 vs. $22,750)
  • Louisville graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than Kentucky graduates. ($203 vs. $235)
  • More Kentucky graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Louisville students, three years after graduation. (62% vs. 58%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/