Kentucky Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 8 public colleges in Kentucky with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Northern Kentucky University leads the list by accepting 68% of high school students that applied.

Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.

List of Kentucky Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Highland Heights, Kentucky

68%

Morehead, Kentucky

77%

Richmond, Kentucky

78%

Louisville, Kentucky

79%

Murray, Kentucky

86%

Lexington, Kentucky

93%

Bowling Green, Kentucky

94%

Frankfort, Kentucky

96%

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.