10 Top Kentucky Colleges and Universities

Kentucky's best colleges range in size from small Berea College with just over 1,000 students to the University of Kentucky with nearly 30,000 students. They also vary significantly in personality and mission. My top picks for the state include a range of public, private, religious, and secular institutions. Admission standards also differ greatly, so be sure to click on the profile links to learn more about each school. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking; the idea of trying to put a small liberal arts work college and a large Division I public university into a single ranking is dubious at best.

Compare Kentucky Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores

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Asbury University

Location: Wilmore, Kentucky
Enrollment: 1,854 (1,674 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Christian university
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; most students receive grant aid; students from 44 states and 14 countries; strong Christian identity; NAIA athletic programs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Asbury University profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Asbury Admissions

Bellarmine University

Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Enrollment: 3,973 (2,647 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic university
Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; easy access to Louisville attractions; most students receive grant aid; strong internship and study abroad programs; NCAA Division II athletic programs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Bellarmine University profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Bellarmine Admissions

Berea College

Location: Berea, Kentucky
Enrollment: 1,665 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts work college
Distinctions: students from 50 states and 60 countries; focus on students of limited economic means; no tuition costs; work program for all students; amazing value; little debt burden; rich history of inclusion; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Berea College profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Berea Admissions

Centre College

Location: Danville, Kentucky
Enrollment: 1,430 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; excellent value and good financial aid; "Centre Commitment" guarantees graduation in four years; excellent retention and graduation rates
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Centre College profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Centre Admissions

Georgetown College

Location: Georgetown, Kentucky
Enrollment: 1,526 (986 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Baptist college
Distinctions: rich history dating to 1829; 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 42 majors and 37 minors; large number of graduates go straight on to graduate school; active student life including fraternities and sororities; NAIA athletic programs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Georgetown College profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Georgetown Admissions

Murray State University

Location: Murray, Kentucky
Enrollment: 10,486 (8,877 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: 190 student organizations; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; good value; member of the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley Conference; one of the top equestrian colleges
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Murray State University profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Murray State Admissions

Transylvania University

Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Enrollment: 963 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; one of the oldest colleges in the country (founded in 1780); located just one mile from the University of Kentucky; good grant aid; popular fraternity and sorority system; NCAA Division III athletic programs
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Transylvania University profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Transylvania Admissions

University of Kentucky

Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Enrollment: 29,781 (22,621 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: flagship campus of Kentucky's public university system; largest Kentucky university; strong colleges of business, medicine, and communication studies; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Kentucky profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Kentucky Admissions

University of Louisville

Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Enrollment: 21,578 (15,826 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: made up of 13 schools and colleges; home to a planetarium and art gallery; students from 50 states and over 100 countries; good value; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Louisville profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Louisville Admissions

Western Kentucky University

Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky
Enrollment: 20,271 (17,595 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: 90 majors and 60 minors; 18 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high level of alumni giving for a public institution; popular programs in business, education and nursing; member of the NCAA Division I Conference USA
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Western Kentucky University profile
GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for WKU Admissions