Best Colleges in Kentucky

Why Should I Consider Studying in Kentucky?

Apart from being home to notable horse racing tracks like Ellis Park, Churchill Downs, and Keeneland, Kentucky offers many exciting opportunities to prospective college students. If you love the outdoors, the state offers many parks, like the Mammoth Cave National Park. And if you enjoy music, food, and the arts, the state’s top cities like Lexington, Covington, Bowling Green, and Louisville.

You can also access both public and private universities in the state. Some of its leading private universities include Louisville’s Bellarmine University, Transylvania University in Lexington, and Asbury University in Wilmore.

Prospective public university students have many options. In Lexington, for example, you can access a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses from the University of Kentucky, which is also the top university in the state. Other top public colleges include Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, and Morehead State University in Morehead.

Regardless of your degree preference or interest—bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate—this state covers your needs.

Kentucky Higher Education By The Numbers

Colleges in Kentucky

Kentucky has the 26th most colleges in the United States with 83 colleges located there. For a little context, that's 86% fewer colleges than the leading state. 30% of colleges in Kentucky are public, and 70% of its colleges are private. (25 public colleges & 58 private colleges). It has the 32nd most public colleges and the 19th most private colleges of all the states.

Our top three colleges in Kentucky are Berea College, Centre College, and University of Kentucky. University of Kentucky has more students than any other public colleges in Kentucky's top 25 colleges with 32,756. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has the most students of any private college in our top 25 (5,310).

Students in Kentucky

The average state has 508,837 college students. Kentucky has 171,335.137255 fewer. There are 248,155 public college students and 89,347 private college students in Kentucky. It has more public college students than 48% of states and more pivate college students than 52% of states. Its 337,502 total students make it the 25th most popular locale in the nation. 74% of students in Kentucky are enrolled in public institutions which is the 21st lowest percentage in the nation.