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Statistics

Kentucky college statistics

How colleges in Kentucky stack up on cost, graduate earnings, debt and value.

87
Colleges
$15,518
Avg net price as of 2024
$43,840
Median earnings as of 2024
$15,813
Median debt as of 2024
+14%
% strong ROI

Kentucky vs. the nation

ROI verdict mix

DR Rating grades

Students & representation

Average graduate earnings by gender, student-body diversity and origin across Kentucky colleges — from federal enrollment and IRS-linked earnings data.

Average earnings by gender
Women
$36,345
Men
$45,005

19% gap between the two groups

Who studies here
White 69%Hispanic 5%Asian 2%Black 16%Other 7%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

95%
Students born in the U.S. (avg)
47%
First-generation students (avg)
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Top colleges in Kentucky

1
Galen College of Nursing-ARH
Hazard, KY · For-profit
$78,4805-yr earnings
$21,164net price/yr
+555%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 76 BView ROI
2
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY · Public
$51,8085-yr earnings
$5,143net price/yr
+401%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 76 BView ROI
3
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville
Louisville, KY · For-profit
$78,4805-yr earnings
$18,540net price/yr
+304%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 78 BView ROI
4
Galen Health Institutes-Pikeville
Pikeville, KY · For-profit
$67,5375-yr earnings
$28,475net price/yr
+243%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 67 BView ROI
5
Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, KY · Public
$50,5205-yr earnings
$6,376net price/yr
+225%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 70 BView ROI
6
Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY · Private
$74,9155-yr earnings
$21,835net price/yr
+209%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 65 BView ROI
7
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY · Public
$56,2365-yr earnings
$8,191net price/yr
+173%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 61 CView ROI
8
Owensboro Community and Technical College
Owensboro, KY · Public
$48,3475-yr earnings
$5,800net price/yr
+131%10-yr ROI
Strong return DR 57 CView ROI

All Kentucky colleges National statistics

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

Degree Return is an independent informational service. ROI figures are estimates based on past student cohorts; individual earnings vary widely. This is not financial, legal, or admissions advice. We never compute ROI where federal data is missing.

Degree Return is an independent project and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, NCES, any college, or any government agency. Source data is public domain.

Data as of 2024 · sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

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