University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state's two land-grant universities. It is the institution with the highest enrollment in the state, with 35,952 students in the fall of 2024.
At a glance
- Acceptance rate: 93%
- Average net price: $21,958
- Undergraduate enrollment: 25,088
- Graduation rate (150%): 71%
- Graduation rate (200%): 69%
- 8-year Outcome Measures award rate: 73%
- Student to faculty ratio: 18:1
- Median earnings (10 years): $59,025
- Median earnings (8 years): $53,326
- Median earnings (6 years): $47,266
- Control: Public
- Locale: City, large
- Calendar: Semester
- City: Lexington, KY
Majors and programs
The most common programs at UK include Nursing, Marketing, Business.
- Nursing (339 bachelor's) · median earnings $81,941 4 years after graduation · median debt $25,418
- Marketing (305 bachelor's) · median earnings $70,776 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,500
- Business (292 bachelor's) · median earnings $69,451 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,500
- Psychology (283 bachelor's) · median earnings $46,570 4 years after graduation · median debt $23,500
- Finance (274 bachelor's) · median earnings $84,087 4 years after graduation · median debt $20,750
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric (230 bachelor's) · median earnings $55,653 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,500
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching (189 bachelor's) · median earnings $51,379 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,804
- Biology (172 bachelor's) · median earnings $52,163 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,250
- Mechanical Engineering (157 bachelor's) · median earnings $90,654 4 years after graduation · median debt $23,250
- Accounting (152 bachelor's) · median earnings $85,777 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,562
Degree mix: Business 27%, Engineering 11%, Computer Science 4%, Health 36%, Biological Sciences 7%, Psychology 6%, Communication 8%, Other 1%.
Award levels offered: Certificates, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral.
Cost
UK students from families earning $0 to $30,000 pay about $12,182 a year after aid.
- Net price, $0 to $30,000: $12,182
- Net price, $30,001 to $48,000: $12,119
- Net price, $48,001 to $75,000: $16,313
- Net price, $75,001 to $110,000: $21,192
- Net price, $110,001 and above: $26,781
- In-state tuition and fees: $13,502
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: $34,140
- Books and supplies: $1,200
- On-campus room and board: $16,016
- Off-campus room and board: $15,912
- Off-campus with family: $9,228
- Typical cost of attendance: $34,391
- Sticker vs net gap: 36%
- Students receiving any aid: 100%
- Pell Grant recipients: 23%
- Federal loan recipients: 34%
- Average institutional grant: $9,939
- Average federal loan: $6,182
- Median debt at graduation: $22,500
Admissions
UK admits 93% of applicants. Of students admitted, 22% enrolled.
- Applications: 31,517
- Admitted: 29,293
- Enrolled: 6,513
- Yield (first-choice signal): 22%
Who actually goes here
- Undergraduates: 25,088
- Women: 60%
- Commuter share (estimated): 64%
- Part-time undergraduates: 6%
- Age 25 and older: 6%
- Graduate students: 4,692
- Graduation rate: 71%
- Come back after freshman year: 87%
- First-generation: 23%
Faculty and campus
- Full-time faculty: 59%
- Student to faculty: 18:1
- Professor salary: $142,408
- Associate professor salary: $104,847
- Assistant professor salary: $95,718
- On-campus housing capacity: 8,923
- Meal plan meals per week: 99
- Average SAT: 1,180
- Average ACT: 25
- Study abroad: Available
- Online programs: Available
Common questions
What is the UK acceptance rate? UK admits 93% of applicants, based on the latest IPEDS admissions file.
How much does UK cost? Students from families earning $0 to $30,000 pay about $12,182 a year after aid. Average net price is $21,958.
What majors does UK offer? Popular programs include Nursing, Marketing, Business, Psychology, Finance.
What is the average salary after UK? Median earnings 10 years after entry are $59,025 for Title IV aid recipients in College Scorecard.
What is the UK graduation rate? In the IPEDS Outcome Measures cohort, 73% earned an award within eight years. The first-time, full-time 150% graduation rate is 71%.
Scorecard earnings and debt cover Title IV aid recipients, not cash-pay or private-loan students. University of Kentucky official site: https://uky.edu.