State Rankings

Best Colleges in Kentucky

Top colleges in Kentucky ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 48

Avg grad earnings: $41,323

Public / Private: 24 / 24

Top Colleges in Kentucky

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Centre College Danville#78 national	Private	$66,240	54.3%	1,345	85.3%	$50,550
2	University of Kentucky Lexington#314 national	Public	$59,025	92.4%	1,213	69.9%	$33,406
3	Berea College Berea#484 national	Private	$43,150	32.7%	1,248	62.0%	$49,326
4	Transylvania University Lexington#489 national	Private	$54,705	85.0%	1,285	69.8%	$44,980
5	Bellarmine University Louisville#570 national	Private	$62,069	93.6%	1,208	67.8%	$47,180
6	University of Louisville Louisville#595 national	Public	$53,899	80.5%	1,147	60.7%	$29,174
7	Asbury University Wilmore#934 national	Private	$42,368	64.1%	N/A	65.0%	$33,640
8	Murray State University Murray#1005 national	Public	$44,737	86.2%	1,110	59.5%	$19,452
9	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights#1054 national	Public	$50,220	96.0%	1,114	48.3%	$21,480
10	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond#1073 national	Public	$45,795	78.1%	1,089	49.7%	$20,820
11	Georgetown College Georgetown#1229 national	Private	$52,074	73.9%	1,149	47.5%	$42,010
12	University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg#1276 national	Private	$45,036	71.4%	N/A	46.2%	$9,875
13	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green#1475 national	Public	$43,889	97.0%	977	53.7%	$27,000
14	Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville#1601 national	Public	$38,171	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,242
15	Spalding University Louisville#1650 national	Private	$49,438	98.6%	1,014	57.3%	$27,850
16	Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville#1703 national	Public	$36,323	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
17	Brescia University Owensboro#1749 national	Private	$45,500	34.6%	N/A	46.0%	$30,450
18	Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro#1784 national	Public	$35,798	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
19	Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown#1787 national	Public	$36,143	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
20	Morehead State University Morehead#1790 national	Public	$43,197	82.1%	N/A	47.7%	$14,706
21	Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington#1792 national	Public	$36,343	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,242
22	Henderson Community College Henderson#1818 national	Public	$35,714	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
23	Madisonville Community College Madisonville#1832 national	Public	$35,733	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
24	Gateway Community and Technical College Florence#1843 national	Public	$36,147	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
25	Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green#1865 national	Public	$34,242	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
26	West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah#1887 national	Public	$34,891	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
27	Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro#1890 national	Private	$46,747	67.0%	1,043	52.6%	$33,393
28	Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland#1894 national	Public	$34,504	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
29	Thomas More University Crestview Hills#1901 national	Private	$59,384	97.0%	1,140	40.1%	$38,400
30	Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg#1955 national	Public	$32,954	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
31	University of Pikeville Pikeville#1973 national	Private	$48,231	N/A	N/A	39.1%	$24,150
32	Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard#2001 national	Public	$29,868	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
33	Somerset Community College Somerset#2011 national	Public	$30,787	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
34	Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland#2016 national	Public	$29,482	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
35	Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville#2053 national	Public	$32,194	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,192
36	Midway University Midway#2362 national	Private	$44,246	95.2%	1,075	46.4%	$26,080
37	Lindsey Wilson College Columbia#2387 national	Private	$41,129	N/A	N/A	38.1%	$27,274
38	Union Commonwealth University Barbourville#2434 national	Private	$42,002	55.0%	965	36.0%	$30,946
39	Campbellsville University Campbellsville#2478 national	Private	$41,583	98.3%	N/A	47.1%	$26,990
40	Kentucky State University Frankfort#2562 national	Public	$36,382	92.5%	910	27.1%	$13,260
41	Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes#2569 national	Private	$40,573	85.6%	980	26.4%	$14,080
42	Kentucky Christian University Grayson	Private	$42,375	62.4%	970	33.8%	$25,000
43	Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Pineville	Private	$41,623	N/A	N/A	33.3%	$10,120
44	Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training Newport	Private	$24,540	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
45	Kentucky Mountain Bible College Jackson	Private	$21,256	35.7%	980	35.7%	$10,060
46	Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education Lexington	Private	$20,156	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
47	Simmons College of Kentucky Louisville	Private	N/A	98.2%	N/A	34.0%	$16,398
48	The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville	Private	N/A	96.9%	1,118	43.9%	$13,086

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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