University of Kentucky
Public Research University in Lexington, KY. Six-year graduation rate 71%. Median 10-year earnings $59,025.
Ten years after entry, the median University of Kentucky student earns $59,025 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. The six-year graduation rate of 71% is well above average and the clearest sign this school holds onto its students. Median debt at graduation is $22,500, roughly typical for an undergraduate degree.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Mobility score 1.0 — limited economic uplift documented
Admissions
University of Kentucky admits 93% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. 31,517 students applied, a pool deep enough to make the acceptance rate meaningful. 22% of those admitted enroll, which is unremarkable in either direction. The score bands below rest on the 7% of enrolled first-years who submitted an SAT score — a self-selected group, and not a cutoff.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 540–650 | 481 (7%) |
| SAT Math | 530–640 | |
| ACT Composite | 21–28 | 3,230 (50%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of Kentucky →Academics
71% of students finish within six years, putting completion well above the national norm. First-year retention of 87% shows the cohort holds together through the hardest year. Retention and graduation track closely, so most of the attrition shows up in the first year rather than after it. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 39% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. At 18:1, class sizes land in the normal range for an undergraduate institution.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 23,189 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price after grant aid is $21,958 a year — mid-range for a four-year institution. Net price swings hard on family income here, from $12,182 at the $0–30k band to $26,781 at $110k+. Grant aid is widespread — 88% of students receive it, averaging $12,788. About 35% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 6,360 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,182 |
| $30–48k | $12,119 |
| $48–75k | $16,313 |
| $75–110k | $21,192 |
| $110k+ | $26,781 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 8,049 of these 23,189 students, totalling $49,759,588 — an average of $6,182 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Fayette County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)