Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Richmond, Kentucky. It enrolls 12,318 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes45
Value85
Affordability80
Selectivity40
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Eastern Kentucky University admits 77.6% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
77.6%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
880 – 1080
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Eastern Kentucky University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
15.7 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $11,040 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$10,320
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$21,230
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,268
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,268
Books & Supplies
$0
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,650
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,675
Total Cost of Attendance
$23,735
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$8,591
$30,001 – $48,000
$8,005
$48,001 – $75,000
$10,382
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,384
Over $110,000
$17,009
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,26610%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$22,500Medianpercentile
$26,25075%percentile
$37,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,791
↓ $6,709
No Pell $12,696
↓ $9,804
Dependent students $14,023
↓ $8,477
Independent students $17,142
↓ $5,358
Female students $15,000
↓ $7,500
Male students $14,750
↓ $7,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($22,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
41% of students who start here finish within six years, and 78% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
41%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
78%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,795 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,795
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$35,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$44,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$34,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,500, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
18.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 78% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 12,318 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 40% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
12,318
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
40%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 79.7%9,817
Black 6.9%845
Hispanic 5.6%695
Other 5.3%654
Asian 1.1%129
International 0.7%84
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Eastern Kentucky University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Eastern Kentucky University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
117 distinct programs across
26 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,171
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$88M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,692
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
501 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
165
33%
$75,211
Associate Professors
127
25%
$69,061
Assistant Professors
134
27%
$67,531
Instructors
3
1%
$74,155
Lecturers
45
9%
$54,390
No Rank
27
5%
$56,121
Pros & Cons of Eastern Kentucky University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Eastern Kentucky University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Eastern Kentucky University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eastern Kentucky University
The questions families ask most about Eastern Kentucky University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Eastern Kentucky University hard to get into?
Not especially. Eastern Kentucky University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 77.6%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Eastern Kentucky University?
77.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Eastern Kentucky University?
Aim for 1080 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 880 and 1080 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Eastern Kentucky University?
Aim for 25 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 25 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Eastern Kentucky University cost?
Budget around $11,040 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Eastern Kentucky University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,795 a year against a net price of $11,040, about 4.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Eastern Kentucky University known for?
Mostly Psychology, Criminal Justice, Liberal Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Eastern Kentucky University graduates earn?
About $45,795 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Eastern Kentucky University accredited?
Yes. Eastern Kentucky University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Eastern Kentucky University?
12,318 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Eastern Kentucky University?
41% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Eastern Kentucky University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Eastern Kentucky University located?
Eastern Kentucky University is located in Richmond, Kentucky.
What programs does Eastern Kentucky University offer?
117 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Criminal Justice, Liberal Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Eastern Kentucky University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Kentucky
Other colleges in Kentucky share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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