$59,025
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of Kentucky is a public 4-year college in Lexington, Kentucky with 24,763 undergraduates and 9,175 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $18,851 a year (tuition and fees $13,502 in-state, $34,140 out-of-state). It admits 93% of applicants and 71% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $59,025 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$18,851
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$13,502
Out-of-state $34,140
Admission rate
93%
US median 78%
Completion rate
71%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,500
About $239 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$59,025
Rank 848 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $18,851
- Tuition in-state
- $13,502
- Tuition out-of-state
- $34,140
- Cost of attendance
- $34,391
- Students with a need-based grant
- 23%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,182
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,119
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,313
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $21,192
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $26,781
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $10,936 in 2015-16 to $13,502 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 93%
- Average SAT
- 1,215
- SAT reading, middle
- 602
- SAT math, middle
- 605
- ACT, middle
- 26
- Undergraduates
- 24,763
- Graduate students
- 9,175
- Part-time students
- 5.8%
- Women
- 58%
- Students per teacher
- 18
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Retention rate
- 87%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 347
- Endowment
- $2.0B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 848 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 70 in Kentucky (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KY median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $18,851 | $16,512 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $13,502 | $11,652 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 93% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 71% | 53% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 87% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,500 | $13,521 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,266 | $31,816 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $59,025 | $36,235 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 63% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 77% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
347 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 760 | $41,000 | $49,483 | $60,970 | $65,123 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 392 | $22,500 | $49,431 | $69,451 | $68,407 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 387 | $25,418 | $71,461 | $81,941 | $88,910 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 385 | $22,500 | $48,100 | $70,776 | $69,303 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 373 | $27,500 | $49,544 | Withheld | - |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 327 | $20,750 | $58,422 | $84,087 | $83,343 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 276 | $23,500 | $28,551 | $46,570 | $50,706 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 274 | $22,804 | $35,282 | $51,379 | $51,389 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 205 | $22,250 | $31,360 | $52,163 | $57,214 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 190 | $22,500 | $39,311 | $55,653 | $56,359 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 190 | $212,674 | $62,460 | $115,241 | $112,460 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | $21,453 | $71,293 | $99,535 | $92,374 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 156 | $23,250 | $68,448 | $90,654 | $92,135 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 134 | $23,000 | $45,275 | $62,754 | $63,560 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 133 | $75,150 | $53,600 | $86,420 | $107,773 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 130 | $139,898 | $90,985 | $135,755 | $138,348 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 121 | $22,562 | $59,474 | $85,777 | $76,194 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 116 | $32,146 | $72,349 | $111,868 | $125,988 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $20,500 | $34,745 | $57,514 | $63,293 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 108 | $24,500 | $33,030 | Withheld | $62,451 |
| Social WorkGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 103 | Withheld | $44,353 | Withheld | $69,362 |
| Library Science and AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 102 | $24,435 | $39,315 | $50,534 | $56,301 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $22,478 | $67,044 | $81,031 | $86,517 |
| Social WorkOnlineProfessional | Professional | 93 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 93 | $23,000 | $19,370 | $82,533 | $61,296 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Kentucky on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kentucky
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kentucky
Questions and answers
How much does University of Kentucky cost?
$18,851 a year is the average net price at University of Kentucky after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $13,502 for in-state students and $34,140 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $34,391. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,182 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Kentucky?
93% of applicants are admitted to University of Kentucky. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,215 and the middle ACT score is 26. The median admission rate of colleges in Kentucky is 81%.
How much do University of Kentucky graduates earn?
$59,025 a year is the median pay of former University of Kentucky students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,266 after 6 years). That ranks 848 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 70 in Kentucky. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Dentistry (Professional) at $123,321.
How much student debt do University of Kentucky graduates have?
$22,500 is the median federal student loan debt of University of Kentucky graduates, about $239 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of Kentucky?
71% of first-time, full-time students at University of Kentucky finish within 6 years. 87% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of Kentucky?
Social Work (760 master's graduates), Business/Commerce, General (392 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (387 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 347 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.