University of Kentucky is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Lexington, Kentucky. It enrolls 24,763 students (a very 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
73/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes80
Value64
Affordability40
Selectivity40
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of Kentucky admits 92.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
92.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1070 – 1290
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 28
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 University of Kentucky is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
3.5 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 $18,851 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)
$13,502
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$34,140
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,016
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,912
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,840
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,944
Total Cost of Attendance
$34,391
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
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
$12,182
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,119
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,313
$75,001 – $110,000
$21,192
Over $110,000
$26,781
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$5,89825%percentile
$22,500Medianpercentile
$26,88575%percentile
$32,40090%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 $18,500
↓ $4,000
No Pell $14,582
↓ $7,918
Dependent students $16,500
↓ $6,000
Independent students $18,000
↓ $4,500
Female students $17,500
↓ $5,000
Male students $15,500
↓ $7,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($22,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $59,025 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$59,025
Earning > $25K
83%
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
$48,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$59,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$53,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$52,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$55,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,400, 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 ↑
14.1 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 24,763 students, a sprawling student community.
Total Enrolled
24,763
Part-Time
6%
First-Generation
23%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 76.2%18,874
Hispanic 6.8%1,679
Black 6.3%1,558
Other 4.7%1,169
Asian 3.7%909
International 1.3%319
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Kentucky. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Kentucky offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
274 distinct programs across
28 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 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$14,567
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.9B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$105,453
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,710 instructional faculty across 5 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
590
35%
$137,895
Associate Professors
470
27%
$102,528
Assistant Professors
394
23%
$90,237
Instructors
10
1%
—
Lecturers
246
14%
$70,990
Pros & Cons of University of Kentucky
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Kentucky is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, University of Kentucky is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Kentucky
The questions families ask most about University of Kentucky, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of Kentucky hard to get into?
Not especially. University of Kentucky admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 92.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Kentucky?
92.9% 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 University of Kentucky?
Aim for 1290 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1070 and 1290 (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 University of Kentucky?
Aim for 28 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 21 and 28 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Kentucky cost?
Budget around $18,851 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 University of Kentucky worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $59,025 a year against a net price of $18,851, about 3.1 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 University of Kentucky known for?
Mostly Social Work, Business, Nursing. 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 University of Kentucky graduates earn?
About $59,025 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 University of Kentucky accredited?
Yes. University of Kentucky is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend University of Kentucky?
24,763 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of Kentucky?
60% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of Kentucky a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is University of Kentucky located?
University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, Kentucky.
What programs does University of Kentucky offer?
274 different programs, most commonly Social Work, Business, Nursing. 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 University of Kentucky?
17 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.
Nursing
Business Administration
Business Administration
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