Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Kentucky

Colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics, ranked by Compass Score.

Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Kentucky8 schools

8 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score.

How this list is made

Schools in Kentucky.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Competes in NCAA Division I (the school's athletics association, from federal and association data).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
University of Kentucky	$18,851	$22,500	$59,025	71%
Bellarmine University	$21,499	$25,000	$62,069	64%
University of Louisville	$17,988	$20,500	$53,899	61%
Murray State University	$9,096	$20,500	$44,737	61%
Northern Kentucky University	$8,191	$23,000	$50,220	52%
Eastern Kentucky University	$11,040	$22,500	$45,795	50%
Western Kentucky University	$10,990	$22,095	$43,889	56%
Morehead State University	$9,793	$22,250	$43,197	52%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.