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University of Kentucky: cost, admission and results

University of Kentucky is a public college in Lexington, Kentucky. It has about 24,763 undergraduate students. It admits 93% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $18,868 a year.

At a glance

  • 93%Admission rate
  • $18,868Net price a year
  • 72%Graduation rate
  • $63,924Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Lexington, Kentucky 40506
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Large city
Undergraduate students
24,763
Graduate students
9,175
Students per teacher
18 to 1
Accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Website
uky.edu

Getting in

University of Kentucky admits 93% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1215 out of 1600 (midpoints: 602 in reading and writing, 605 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 26 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Kentucky$13,907
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$35,164
Room and meals on campus$16,696
Books and supplies$1,200
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$35,083
Average net price after grants and scholarships$18,868

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 7% above the median net price of colleges in Kentucky on this site ($17,637). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$12,528
$30,001 to $48,000$12,460
$48,001 to $75,000$14,192
$75,001 to $110,000$20,327
Above $110,000$27,661

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeKY medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year87%74%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)72%49%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$63,924$48,071$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$19,500$21,324$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Kentucky and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

25% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 36% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 58% women and 42% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 1 of the 36 colleges in Kentucky on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,278.

Other colleges in Kentucky of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of University of Kentucky?

University of Kentucky admits 93% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at University of Kentucky?

Published tuition and fees are $13,907 a year for students from Kentucky and $35,164 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of University of Kentucky?

72% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in Kentucky How to read these figures