University of
the Cumberlands
Private College in Williamsburg, KY. Six-year graduation rate 50%. Median 10-year earnings $45,036.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $45,036 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. 50% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Graduates leave owing a median of $14,911 — modest by four-year standards. On economic mobility, 2.3% of students travel from the bottom income quintile to the top.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.33 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
University of the Cumberlands admits 99% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. 3,037 students applied in the most recent cycle — a mid-sized pool drawn mostly from the surrounding region. Yield sits at 33% — the remainder of admitted students enroll elsewhere or not at all.
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 | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of the Cumberlands →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 50%, meaning about one in two students who enroll leave without finishing. First-year retention is 74% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention and graduation track closely, so most of the attrition shows up in the first year rather than after it. Transfer-out runs to 21% — common enough at this school that the completion rate is measuring a smaller group than the entering class. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 32% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 5,507 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,743 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. The income table below is the number that matters — $10,736 at $0–30k versus $18,846 at $110k+. Grant aid is widespread — 85% of students receive it, averaging $5,487. 75% of students borrow federally, so debt is the norm rather than the exception.
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 · 616 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 | $10,736 |
| $30–48k | $11,147 |
| $48–75k | $12,572 |
| $75–110k | $16,441 |
| $110k+ | $18,846 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 4,143 of these 5,507 students, totalling $13,644,623 — an average of $3,293 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Whitley 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)