Cheapest Colleges in Kentucky
Sticker prices at the 25 four-year colleges we rank in Kentucky run from $9,387 to $52,820 a year in tuition and fees, a gap of $43,433 between the cheapest school and the most expensive one.
The 8 public colleges here charge a median of $10,704 a year, $764 (8%) above the national public median of $9,940. The 17 private nonprofit colleges on the list charge a median of $31,550, under the $39,582 national private median. Sticker price alone rarely settles the cheapest private option, so check the net price column.
Kentucky State University ranks first at $9,387, ahead of University of the Cumberlands ($9,875) and Murray State University ($9,900).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree (public, private nonprofit and for-profit)
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Kentucky
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Kentucky has 25
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 25 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY Public · 4-year | $9,387 | $13,658 | $8,040 | 30% | 1,309 |
| 2 | University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $9,875 | — | $14,107 | 48% | 6,941 |
| 3 | Murray State University Murray, KY Public · 4-year | $9,900 | $19,836 | $9,096 | 60% | 6,688 |
| 4 | Morehead State University Morehead, KY Public · 4-year | $10,024 | $14,980 | $9,793 | 50% | 4,578 |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY Public · 4-year | $10,320 | $21,230 | $11,040 | 50% | 12,318 |
| 6 | Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY Public · 4-year | $11,088 | $21,912 | $8,191 | 50% | 8,246 |
| 7 | Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY Public · 4-year | $11,652 | $27,000 | $10,990 | 55% | 12,155 |
| 8 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public · 4-year | $13,136 | $29,482 | $17,988 | 61% | 14,727 |
| 9 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 4-year | $13,502 | $34,140 | $18,851 | 71% | 24,763 |
| 10 | Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $13,960 | — | $18,600 | 32% | 558 |
| 11 | University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $24,850 | — | $20,311 | 40% | 1,135 |
| 12 | Midway University Midway, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $27,220 | — | $29,579 | 43% | 1,262 |
| 13 | Lindsey Wilson University Columbia, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $27,808 | — | $15,070 | 41% | 1,585 |
| 14 | Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $27,998 | — | $19,341 | 44% | 2,840 |
| 15 | Spalding University Louisville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $29,200 | — | $25,491 | 54% | 583 |
| 16 | Union Commonwealth University Barbourville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $30,946 | — | $21,311 | 34% | 746 |
| 17 | Brescia University Owensboro, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $31,550 | — | $8,709 | 51% | 545 |
| 18 | Asbury University Wilmore, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $33,640 | — | $21,401 | 65% | 1,420 |
| 19 | Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,673 | — | $17,131 | 49% | 842 |
| 20 | Thomas More University Crestview Hills, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $39,800 | — | $21,835 | 40% | 1,293 |
| 21 | Georgetown College Georgetown, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $42,840 | — | $14,095 | 48% | 1,097 |
| 22 | Transylvania University Lexington, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $46,870 | — | $21,913 | 71% | 1,005 |
| 23 | Bellarmine University Louisville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $48,770 | — | $21,499 | 66% | 2,161 |
| 24 | Berea College Berea, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $51,658 | — | $6,106 | 60% | 1,513 |
| 25 | Centre College Danville, KY Private nonprofit · 4-year | $52,820 | — | $20,781 | 83% | 1,400 |
How to compare these colleges
Start with the net price column rather than the sticker price. Net price is the average a student who receives aid pays after grants and scholarships, so a school that ranks lower here can still be the cheaper choice for your family. The out-of-state column applies only if you are not a legal resident of Kentucky, and only public colleges charge a separate rate.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Kentucky
Best value colleges in Kentucky
22 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Kentucky
28 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Kentucky
17 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheapest colleges in Ohio
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Cheapest colleges in Illinois
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Cheapest colleges in Indiana
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All 35 colleges in Kentucky See the national version of this ranking