National university
#5 Best colleges in KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $19,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
UK Campus Tour 2026 | Explore the University of Kentucky with Real Students · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for social work in America#94 of 605
- Best colleges for nursing in America#184 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#197 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#160 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#303 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#257 of 1,318
Show 10 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#364 of 1,829
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#255 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#165 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#320 of 1,418
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best colleges in America#421 of 1,829
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#162 of 690
- Best colleges for English in America#302 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#320 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#369 of 1,481
In Kentucky
- Best colleges for social work in Kentucky#1 of 14
- Best colleges for marketing in Kentucky#1 of 12
- Best colleges for finance in Kentucky#1 of 11
- Best colleges for accounting in Kentucky#2 of 21
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Kentucky#3 of 29
- Best colleges for engineering in Kentucky#1 of 9
Show 17 more
- Best colleges for business in Kentucky#3 of 26
- Best colleges for education in Kentucky#3 of 26
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Kentucky#3 of 25
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Kentucky#1 of 8
- Best colleges for nursing in Kentucky#3 of 20
- Best colleges for psychology in Kentucky#4 of 26
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Kentucky#4 of 25
- Best test-optional colleges in Kentucky#4 of 25
- Best colleges for English in Kentucky#4 of 24
- Best colleges in Kentucky#5 of 29
- Best colleges for history in Kentucky#4 of 23
- Best colleges for mathematics in Kentucky#4 of 23
- Best colleges for art and design in Kentucky#4 of 22
- Best colleges for chemistry in Kentucky#4 of 21
- Best colleges for music in Kentucky#4 of 20
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Kentucky#4 of 20
- Best colleges for economics in Kentucky#4 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,215 · ACT 24.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,191
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $34,391 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 23,930 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 42% · Women 58% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 23% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 41% |
| Total students | 32,703 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $19,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $34,391 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 71% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 58% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 63% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $59,025 |
| Admission rate | 93% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,079 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 23% |
| Average SAT | 1215 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–650 |
| SAT math | 530–640 |
| ACT composite | 21–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 34% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Materials Engineering | |
| Finance | |
| Health sciences | |
| Nursing | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Chemistry | |
| Health administration | |
| Marketing | |
| Business (general) | |
| Agricultural Engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Information science | |
| Landscape Architecture | |
| Design | |
| Public relations | |
| Architecture | |
| Other agricultural/animal/plant/veterinary science | |
| Public health | |
| Political science | |
| Sociology | |
| Romance languages | |
| General studies | |
| Communication studies | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Journalism | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Biology | |
| Secondary education | |
| Forestry | |
| Social work | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Arts management | |
| Global studies | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Agricultural Production Operations | |
| Psychology | |
| History | |
| Linguistics | |
| English | |
| Teacher education | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Agricultural Public Services | |
| Fine arts | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Music | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Theatre | |
| Liberal arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Area studies, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Biotechnology, Botany/Plant Biology, Business administration, Counseling and mental health, Dance, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies, Food Science and Technology, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Management science, Mining and Mineral Engineering, Neuroscience, Nutrition Sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Physics and Astronomy, Plant Sciences, Pre-health, Public Policy Analysis, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Special education, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Engineering | |
| Communication | |
| Education |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 6% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 6% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,016 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Southeastern Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 18 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 9%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 82%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $62,545IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 35% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Blue Grass Airport (LEX)About 6 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)About 70 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Lexington-FayetteAbout 3 miles away · about 5 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 34°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Lexington Bluegrass Airport, KY, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is University of Kentucky’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 23% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of Kentucky cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $19,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of Kentucky?
- University of Kentucky admitted 93% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Kentucky’s graduates do?
- 71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $59,025; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 157085
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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