Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Kentucky

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Kentucky5 schools

5 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in Kentucky.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

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

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
Centre College	$20,781	$27,000	$66,240	81%
Bellarmine University	$21,499	$25,000	$62,069	64%
University of Kentucky	$18,851	$22,500	$59,025	71%
University of Louisville	$17,988	$20,500	$53,899	61%
Transylvania University	$21,913	$27,000	$54,705	71%

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