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🎓 College profile

University of Kentucky

KY · Public · Large city · 28,233 applicants 2023

Land-grant R1 Research
92% admit rate SAT 1080–1290 $26,781/yr at $110k+ income

🧭 A parent's read

  • The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer Engineering grads from here earn about $99,945 four years out; liberal arts and sciences grads about $36,942 — a 2.7× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 4× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$34,391/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$59,025/yr) still runs about 4× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
  • Ask the submit question deliberately. This college is test-optional — but at many such colleges, applicants who submit strong scores are admitted at meaningfully higher rates. “Optional” is a strategy decision, not a pass.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at University of Kentucky Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. University of Kentucky starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable for in-state families — net price averages ~$18,851/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profiles — the admitted-student bands above are within reach for strong students
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Presidential or Otis A. Singletary on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$13,502 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Health Professions (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1080, or ACT below 21, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.5× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
24,763
20,000 and above
In-state tuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$13,502
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$34,140
+$20,638 vs in-state
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
92.4%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1080–1290
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
21–28
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$59,025
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$47,266
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$59,025
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
71%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$22,500

💰 The real cost

What families at your income actually pay

Above $110K income — where most Reach families sit — aid-receiving families average $26,781/yr at University of Kentucky; families who don't qualify for aid pay the full ~$34,391/yr. Lower brackets pay less — the full ladder is below. One caveat, once: every bracket figure here averages only the families in that bracket who received aid — it says nothing about whether your family will qualify.

🔎 Earning over $110K? You're above the top federal bracket — the median family headed by a 45-to-54-year-old (the prime college-parent years) earned about $134K in 2024, and the federal data lumps everyone from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Whether you'll get need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats. at this income is entirely college-specific: a few heavily-endowed schools meet full need well past $150K, while many others give little above the brackets shown — there, merit scholarships, where offered, become the realistic lever.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated net price across your whole college list — then confirm the exact figure with University of Kentucky's own Net Price Calculator ↗ (10–15 min; have your tax return handy).

Family income $110k+ most Reach families
$26,781/yr
Family income $75-110k
$21,192/yr
Family income $48-75k
$16,313/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,119/yr
Family income $0-30k
$12,182/yr

📈 The payoffTen years of typical earnings divided by four years of cost. A 3× means a decade of median pay covers the cost three times over — check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you., both ways

4.3× at full price 7.8× with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs, in-state)
$137,564
~$34,391/yr all-in (out-of-state runs higher)
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$75,404
$18,851/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$590,250
$59,025/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
2.3 yrs
at full price (1.3 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41–NPT45; Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates; suppressed brackets = small cohorts; the $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — the brackets haven't been refreshed since the early 2010s). Payoff multiple = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (4-yr cost); full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Kentucky

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Kentucky actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
1,074 degrees · 35.1%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Health Professions
730 degrees · 23.9%
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Engineering
506 degrees · 16.6%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Communication, Journalism, & Related
377 degrees · 12.3%
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
5. Education
369 degrees · 12.1%
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of Kentucky's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 54 $79,620 $99,945
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 108 $71,293 $99,535
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 68 $65,389 $98,003
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 51 $78,006 $96,913
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 168 $68,448 $90,654
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 155 $59,474 $85,777
Materials Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 13 — $84,796
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 297 $58,422 $84,087
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 103 $19,370 $82,533
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 302 $71,461 $81,941

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at University of Kentucky

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Presidential
Presidential · in_state
 Full in-state tuition 1390+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Otis A. Singletary
Singletary · in_state
 Full in-state tuition + $10K housing stipend 1450+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Presidential
Presidential (OOS) · out_of_state
 Full out-of-state tuition 1390+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Otis A. Singletary
Singletary (OOS) · out_of_state
 Full out-of-state tuition + $10K housing stipend 1450+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Bluegrass Spirit
Bluegrass Spirit Tier 4 · out_of_state
 $12,500/yr 1360+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Bluegrass Spirit
Bluegrass Spirit Tier 3 · out_of_state
 $10,000/yr 1200+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Bluegrass Spirit
Bluegrass Spirit Tier 2 · out_of_state
 $8,000/yr 1200+ SAT 3.0+ Yes
Provost
Provost High · in_state
 $5,000/yr 1300+ SAT 3.3+ Yes
Bluegrass Spirit
Bluegrass Spirit Tier 1 · out_of_state
 $5,000/yr — 3.0+ Yes
Kentucky Governor's Scholar Provost
GSP High · in_state
 $5,000/yr 1300+ SAT 3.3+ Yes
Provost
Provost Low · in_state
 $2,500/yr 1230+ SAT 3.3+ Yes
Kentucky Governor's Scholar Provost
GSP Low · in_state
 $2,500/yr — — Yes
Patterson
NMF/NHRS · any
 Cost of tuition + room and board allowance — — Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

📈 Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. Why it matters even if you're full-pay: a high mobility rate means the campus itself confers earnings power — the outcomes aren't just selection effects.

Top-1% access
2.2%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
1.0%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
17.2%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
23%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Kentucky

CS degrees (annual)
183
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to University of Kentucky

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr full price (in-state) · $25,223 less before aid
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$11,837/yr full price (in-state) · $22,554 less before aid
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $20,486 less before aid
🚀 Stronger campus value-add
Per Opportunity Insights, these campuses add more earnings power to the students they enroll than University of Kentucky does — a quality signal, not a cost play.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
12.9% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)
CUNY Lehman College
NY · Public
10.2% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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