University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · Public · Graduate degree-granting
Located in Lexington, Kentucky, University of Kentucky is a public institution, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. With 24,763 students, it is a large institution. Graduates earn a median of $59,025 ten years after enrollment, which is 45% above the national median of $40,747. On the academic side, the graduation rate is 70.7%. For cost considerations, median graduate debt is $22,500, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 2.62x. The average net price after financial aid is $18,851 per year. The most popular programs include Social Work, Business, Registered Nursing, Marketing, and Mental Health Services.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$59,025
Graduation Rate
70.7%
Median Debt
$22,500
Average Net Price
$18,851
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
0.78x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
2.62x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
24,763
Admission Rate
92.9%
Average SAT
1215
Retention Rate
86.8%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$13,502
Out-of-State Tuition
$34,140
Pell Grant Rate
22.5%
Federal Loan Rate
33.7%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$12,182
Income $30K–$48K
$12,119
Income $48K–$75K
$16,313
Income $110K+
$26,781
Student Demographics
Women
56.9%
White
76.2%
Black
6.3%
Hispanic
6.8%
Asian
3.7%
Two or More Races
4.5%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
63.3%
Accreditations
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics — Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics, Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship, Didactic Program in Dietetics (Accredited)
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education — Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs (Accredited)
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education — Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) - Clinical training programs at the master's, doctoral, and postgraduate levels (Accredited)
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation — Predoctoral, Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency), Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Orofacial Pain (Accredited)
- American Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on Optometric Education — Optometry (OPTR) - Residency programs (Accredited)
- American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education — Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist (Accredited)
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs, School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs (Accredited)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs (Accredited)
- Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., Accreditation Commission — (SCPE) - Clinical pastoral education (CPE) centers offering CPE and supervisory CPE programs (Accredited)
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education — Health Services Administration (HSA) - Graduate programs in health services administration (Accredited)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels, Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels, Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels (Accredited)
- Council on Education for Public Health — Public Health (PHG) - Graduate level school of public health, Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health (Accredited)
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology — Radiologic Technology (RADTT) - Programs for radiation therapists (Accredited)
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education — Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation — Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation — Music (MUS) (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation — Theatre (THEA) (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (306)
Bachelor (84)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $69,451 | 392 |
| Registered Nursing | $81,941 | 387 |
| Marketing | $70,776 | 385 |
| Finance | $84,087 | 327 |
| Psychology | $46,570 | 276 |
| Secondary Education | $51,379 | 274 |
| Biology | $52,163 | 205 |
| Communications | $55,653 | 190 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | $99,535 | 156 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,654 | 156 |
| Public Relations | $62,754 | 134 |
| Accounting | $85,777 | 121 |
| Political Science | $57,514 | 112 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 108 |
| Civil Engineering | $81,031 | 98 |
| Health Services | $82,533 | 93 |
| Public Health | $59,163 | 91 |
| Teacher Education | $44,352 | 90 |
| Chemical Engineering | $98,003 | 83 |
| Social Work | $51,313 | 81 |
| Business Information Systems | $74,202 | 76 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | $40,538 | 68 |
| Information Science | $65,407 | 63 |
| Agricultural Production | $46,843 | 59 |
| Biotechnology | Not reported | 58 |
| Electrical Engineering | $96,913 | 57 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $66,255 | 57 |
| English Language & Literature | $44,384 | 57 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $50,204 | 56 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $36,942 | 53 |
| Communication Disorders | $52,815 | 52 |
| Animal Sciences | $53,918 | 48 |
| Journalism | $52,785 | 48 |
| Chemistry | $73,549 | 46 |
| Clinical Laboratory Science | $77,663 | 46 |
| History | $46,111 | 45 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $42,612 | 44 |
| Economics | $68,532 | 44 |
| Computer Engineering | $99,945 | 43 |
| Agricultural Business | $65,847 | 42 |
| Mathematics | $75,222 | 39 |
| Health Services Administration | $70,942 | 36 |
| Sociology | $56,266 | 35 |
| Architectural Technology | Not reported | 33 |
| Music | $39,746 | 30 |
| Linguistics | $45,148 | 29 |
| International Studies | $47,698 | 28 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $55,937 | 26 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 26 |
| Design & Applied Arts | $62,966 | 25 |
| Fine Arts | $41,406 | 25 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 24 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | $49,167 | 23 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | $38,475 | 21 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $68,605 | 19 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | Not reported | 19 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 19 |
| Hospitality Management | $52,477 | 19 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 18 |
| Romance Languages | $56,234 | 18 |
| Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition | Not reported | 18 |
| Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other | $60,375 | 17 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 17 |
| Radio, Television & Film | $44,333 | 16 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences | $47,296 | 16 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 16 |
| Materials Engineering | $84,796 | 15 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 14 |
| Special Education | Not reported | 14 |
| Forestry | $51,331 | 13 |
| Foods, Nutrition & Wellness | $55,633 | 13 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | $38,822 | 13 |
| Plant Sciences | Not reported | 11 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 11 |
| Geography | Not reported | 11 |
| Architecture | $62,383 | 10 |
| Physics and Astronomy | Not reported | 10 |
| Landscape Architecture | $64,143 | 9 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 9 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 7 |
| Mental Health Services | Not reported | 7 |
| Food Science & Technology | Not reported | 6 |
| Dance | Not reported | 5 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | Not reported | 4 |
Master (69)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $60,970 | 760 |
| Business | $111,868 | 116 |
| Library Science | $50,534 | 102 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | $114,151 | 64 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 45 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $64,227 | 40 |
| Accounting | $92,636 | 38 |
| Biology | $71,905 | 37 |
| Public Health | $100,253 | 37 |
| Teacher Education | $46,228 | 35 |
| Sports & Fitness | $57,644 | 33 |
| Communication Disorders | $53,218 | 32 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | $58,074 | 31 |
| Educational Administration | $66,209 | 28 |
| Special Education | Not reported | 26 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $56,399 | 22 |
| Marketing | Not reported | 22 |
| Civil Engineering | $91,461 | 21 |
| Public Administration | $71,952 | 20 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 19 |
| Health Services Administration | $103,270 | 16 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 15 |
| Music | Not reported | 15 |
| Communications | Not reported | 14 |
| Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services, Other | Not reported | 14 |
| International Relations | $65,155 | 14 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 13 |
| Agricultural Public Services | Not reported | 12 |
| Architectural Technology | Not reported | 12 |
| Pharmacy | Not reported | 12 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 11 |
| Clinical Psychology | Not reported | 10 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 10 |
| Geography | Not reported | 10 |
| Apparel and Textiles | Not reported | 9 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 9 |
| Data Science & Analytics | Not reported | 9 |
| Secondary Education | $50,659 | 8 |
| Agricultural Engineering | Not reported | 8 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 8 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 8 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 8 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Not reported | 8 |
| Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition | Not reported | 8 |
| Plant Sciences | Not reported | 7 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 7 |
| Human Development & Family Studies | Not reported | 7 |
| Data Science | Not reported | 7 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Educational Assessment | Not reported | 5 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 5 |
| Agricultural Business | Not reported | 4 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | Not reported | 4 |
| Forestry | Not reported | 4 |
| Educational Media | Not reported | 4 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 4 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 4 |
| Design & Applied Arts | Not reported | 4 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 3 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Physics and Astronomy | Not reported | 3 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 3 |
| Human Resources Management | Not reported | 3 |
| Architecture | $69,700 | 1 |
Doctoral (41)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Media | $99,094 | 27 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 18 |
| Physics and Astronomy | Not reported | 17 |
| Music | $49,845 | 16 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 14 |
| Pharmacy | Not reported | 14 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 10 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 10 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 10 |
| Zoology | Not reported | 10 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $100,533 | 10 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 9 |
| Business | Not reported | 9 |
| Plant Sciences | Not reported | 8 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Not reported | 7 |
| Biology | Not reported | 6 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 6 |
| Communications | Not reported | 5 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | Not reported | 5 |
| Educational Administration | Not reported | 5 |
| Civil Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Materials Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 5 |
| Pharmacology | Not reported | 5 |
| Ecology | Not reported | 5 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 5 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 5 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 5 |
| Agricultural Business | Not reported | 4 |
| Chemical Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 4 |
| Economics | Not reported | 4 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 4 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 4 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Animal Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Agricultural Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 3 |
| Clinical Psychology | Not reported | 3 |
| Registered Nursing | Not reported | 3 |
First Professional (8)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | $115,241 | 190 |
| Law | $86,420 | 133 |
| Pharmacy | $135,755 | 130 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 93 |
| Dentistry | $185,878 | 66 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $80,534 | 66 |
| Registered Nursing | $119,485 | 35 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 4 |
Graduate Certificate (33)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Services | Not reported | 373 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 103 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | Not reported | 25 |
| Sports & Fitness | Not reported | 17 |
| Educational Administration | Not reported | 16 |
| Data Analytics | Not reported | 15 |
| Educational Media | Not reported | 14 |
| Geography | $88,628 | 14 |
| Teacher Education | Not reported | 13 |
| Health Services Administration | Not reported | 11 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 9 |
| Data Science & Analytics | Not reported | 9 |
| Neurobiology & Neurosciences | Not reported | 9 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 8 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 8 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 8 |
| Educational Assessment | Not reported | 7 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 7 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 7 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | Not reported | 7 |
| Industrial Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Registered Nursing | $126,624 | 6 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 6 |
| Bilingual Education | Not reported | 5 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences | Not reported | 5 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | Not reported | 5 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Human Development & Family Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 4 |
| Music | Not reported | 4 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | Not reported | 4 |
| Cell Biology | Not reported | 3 |
| Health Services | Not reported | 3 |
Undergraduate Certificate (22)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Food Science & Technology | $69,286 | 64 |
| Industrial Engineering | $99,370 | 60 |
| Industrial Production Technology | Not reported | 54 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Not reported | 47 |
| Health Services Administration | Not reported | 42 |
| Health Services | Not reported | 26 |
| International Business | $88,980 | 25 |
| Neurobiology & Neurosciences | Not reported | 20 |
| Aerospace Engineering | Not reported | 18 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 17 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 17 |
| Peace Studies | Not reported | 15 |
| Social Sciences | Not reported | 15 |
| Public Relations | $57,711 | 14 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 13 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | 8 |
| Finance | Not reported | 7 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Not reported | 6 |
| Foods, Nutrition & Wellness | Not reported | 5 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | Not reported | 5 |
| Forestry | Not reported | 4 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | Not reported | 4 |
Show 49 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Sciences | Master | 2 |
| Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | Master | 2 |
| Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | Doctoral | 2 |
| Area Studies | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Doctoral | 2 |
| Educational Administration | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | Master | 2 |
| Special Education | Doctoral | 2 |
| Secondary Education | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Doctoral | 2 |
| Materials Engineering | Master | 2 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Human Development & Family Studies | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Botany | Doctoral | 2 |
| Statistics | Doctoral | 2 |
| Gerontology | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Geological Sciences | Doctoral | 2 |
| Cognitive Psychology | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Anthropology | Doctoral | 2 |
| Economics | Master | 2 |
| Geography | Doctoral | 2 |
| Design & Applied Arts | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Public Health | Doctoral | 2 |
| Registered Nursing | Master | 2 |
| City & Regional Planning | Master | 1 |
| Area Studies | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Communications | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Public Relations | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Special Education | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Chemical Engineering | Master | 1 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | Doctoral | 1 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Master | 1 |
| Germanic Languages | Master | 1 |
| Foods, Nutrition & Wellness | Master | 1 |
| Botany | Master | 1 |
| Physiology | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Biotechnology | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| International Studies | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor | 1 |
| Sports & Fitness | Doctoral | 1 |
| Philosophy | Master | 1 |
| Public Administration | Doctoral | 1 |
| Sociology | Master | 1 |
| Sociology | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Human Resources Management | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Doctoral Visual & Performing Arts Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Family & Consumer Sciences Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Computer Science Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Engineering Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Engineering Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Nursing & Health Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Business Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Business Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs in Kentucky