University of Kentucky ranked first in the Top Colleges in Kentucky rankings, followed by Centre College and Berea College.
The average tuition & fees of Top Colleges in Kentucky is $11,600 for in-state and $33,859 for out-of-state students for the academic year 2024-2025.
Centre College has the highest tuition & fees of $52,820 and Murray State University has the lowest tuition & fees of $19,836 among Top Colleges in Kentucky. For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees of the schools is $12,363 for in-state and $19,355 for out-of-state students.
The average acceptance rate is 72.08% and the SAT score is 1131 for the Top Colleges in Kentucky. Their acceptance rate is relatively high, making it somewhat easy to get into the schools, and the SAT score is relatively low.
| Rank | School Name | Undergraduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Acceptance Rate | SAT/ACT Scores | Student Population | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of KentuckyLexington, KY | $34,140 ($13,502) $734 ($290) | $36,238 ($14,644) $779 ($314) | 92.94% 0.56% | 1,180 SAT 25 ACT 10 /0 | 34,709 2,006 | 71% 2% |
| 2 | Centre CollegeDanville, KY | $52,820 $2,270 | - | 54.36% 0.02% | 1,360 SAT 29 ACT 40 /0 | 1,404 48 | 81% -4% |
| 3 | Berea CollegeBerea, KY | $51,658 $2,332 | - | 19.34% -13.37% | 1,240 SAT 26 ACT0 /0 | 1,527 40 | 58% -4% |
| 4 | University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY | $29,482 ($13,136) $308 ($308) | $30,546 ($15,128) $1,444 ($710) | 79.41% -1.13% | 1,150 SAT 23 ACT 20 /0 | 23,065 926 | 61% 1% |
| 5 | Transylvania UniversityLexington, KY | $46,870 $1,890 | - | 86.55% 1.56% | 1,250 SAT 27 ACT 40 /0 | 1,006 -16 | 71% 2% |
| 6 | Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY | $21,912 ($11,088) $432 ($192) | $16,350 ($10,788) $306 ($198) | 67.65% -28.38% | 1,040 SAT 21 ACT 15 /-1 | 15,347 386 | 52% 4% |
| 7 | Murray State UniversityMurray, KY | $19,836 ($9,900) $384 ($192) | $10,683 ($10,683) $315 ($315) | 85.68% -0.49% | 1,060 SAT 23 ACT -10 /1 | 10,020 179 | 61% 2% |
| 8 | Asbury UniversityWilmore, KY | $33,640 | $8,700 $79 | 63.40% -0.66% | - | 2,100 158 | 65% |
| 9 | Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY | $21,230 ($10,320) $410 ($190) | $14,628 ($10,794) $288 ($198) | 77.61% -0.48% | 970 SAT 23 ACT -85 /2 | 15,673 665 | 50% 1% |
| 10 | Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY | $27,000 ($11,652) | $18,340 ($12,140) | 93.87% -3.18% | 930 SAT 18 ACT -15 /0 | 16,291 -468 | 56% 3% |
| Average | $33,859 ($11,600) | $19,355 ($12,363) | 72% | 1,131 | 12,114 | 63% |
