College Costs in Kentucky
Kentucky Colleges, Cost and Affordability for 2027
How much does it cost to attend college in Kentucky? The average annual in-state college tuition in Kentucky was $17,056 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is $754 lower than the U.S. average and ranks Kentucky in the middle of the pack as the 25th most expensive state or district to attend college. This is a change of $1,605 from the 2022-2023 average of $15,451 and represents a 10.39% annual increase in tuition costs. The list of Kentucky colleges below provides school specific cost and value rating.
This analysis surveyed tuition data from the 51 colleges and universities in Kentucky, the most popular being University of Kentucky with 30,442 full time students and an in-state tuition list price of $13,502. Centre College is the most expensive in Kentucky with an in-state tuition of $52,820.
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.
University of Kentucky
- Public 4 Year
- Lexington, KY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- $13,502 tuition
- Feb 15 application deadline
Kentucky is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and business. Lexington is a midsize city in the state's Bluegrass horse country.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $21,958
University of Louisville
- Public 4 Year
- Louisville, KY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- $13,136 tuition
- Feb 15 application deadline
UofL is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering and business. Most undergraduates study on the urban Belknap Campus in Louisville.
- SAT Range 1040-1270
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $19,785
Northern Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Highland Heights, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $11,088 tuition
- Aug 15 application deadline
NKU is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban campus in Highland Heights sits just south of Cincinnati.
- SAT Range 953-1150
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $9,211
Kentucky State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frankfort, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $9,387 tuition
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students attend a small campus in Kentucky's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1010
- Avg GPA 2.72
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,397
Western Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $11,652 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 840-1050
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $12,548
Murray State University
- Public 4 Year
- Murray, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $9,900 tuition
Murray State is a public university known for undergraduate education, agriculture, and nursing. Murray is a small college town in western Kentucky built around the campus.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $10,182
Morehead State University
- Public 4 Year
- Morehead, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $10,024 tuition
Morehead State is a public university known for undergraduate space science, education, and nursing. The campus sits in a small college town in Kentucky's Appalachian foothills.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $9,630
Georgetown College
- Private 4 Year
- Georgetown, KY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- $42,840 tuition
Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and business. Most undergrads live on its residential campus in a small Kentucky college town.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $15,160
Bellarmine University
- Private 4 Year
- Louisville, KY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- $48,770 tuition
- Feb 1 application deadline
Bellarmine is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The campus occupies a residential setting in Louisville.
- SAT Range 1030-1250
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $23,165
Eastern Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Richmond, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $10,320 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
EKU is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, fire protection, and safety programs. The campus sits in the college town of Richmond in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 880-1080
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,279
Centre College
- Private 4 Year
- Danville, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $52,820 tuition
- Jan 15 application deadline
Centre is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, politics, and the natural sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Danville.
- SAT Range 1160-1450
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $23,860
Transylvania University
- Private 4 Year
- Lexington, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $46,870 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
Transylvania is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate pre-medicine and the sciences. The historic campus occupies several blocks in downtown Lexington.
- SAT Range 1120-1380
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $25,442
Asbury University
- Private 4 Year
- Wilmore, KY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $33,640 tuition
Asbury is a private Christian university known for undergraduate media communications and equestrian studies. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Wilmore.
- SAT Range 1080-1320
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $23,033
Union Commonwealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Barbourville, KY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- $30,946 tuition
Union Commonwealth is a small private university with undergraduate programs in education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian college town of Barbourville.
- SAT Range 920-1105
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $17,124
University of Pikeville
- Private 4 Year
- Pikeville, KY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $24,850 tuition
- Aug 15 application deadline
University of Pikeville is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The small-town campus sits in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,227
Kentucky Wesleyan College
- Private 4 Year
- Owensboro, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $34,673 tuition
Kentucky Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The campus sits in Owensboro along the Ohio River.
- SAT Range 890-1130
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,999
Jefferson Community and Technical College
- Public 2 Year
- Louisville, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- $4,808 tuition
A public community and technical college known for undergraduate nursing, allied health, and technical career programs. Urban campuses serve students throughout the Louisville area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,446
Campbellsville University
- Private 4 Year
- Campbellsville, KY
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
- $27,998 tuition
Campbellsville is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education, business, and nursing. The campus is in the small town of Campbellsville in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $19,662