University of Kentucky: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Lexington, Kentucky · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
University of Kentucky is a public university in Lexington, Kentucky that admits about 92% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $17,218 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Marketing, Business/Commerce, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 71% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 9.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Kentucky is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Kentucky admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 92%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1213 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $17,218 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Kentucky is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of Kentucky?
University of Kentucky has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Kentucky weight in admissions?
University of Kentucky reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Kentucky typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 530–650, with an EBRW midpoint near 602. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–28. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1070 |
| 50th percentile | 1170 |
| 75th percentile | 1270 |
| % submitting SAT | 7% |
| 25th percentile | 21 |
| 50th percentile | 25 |
| 75th percentile | 28 |
| % submitting ACT | 50% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 28.7% |
| Top 25% of class | 55.6% |
| Top 50% of class | 84.6% |
| % submitting class rank | 28.5% |
How much does University of Kentucky actually cost?
Published tuition is $13,212 for in-state students and $33,406 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,242 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $17,218 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $17,218 |
| Application fee | $50 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Kentucky
| Regular deadline | 02/15 |
| Notification date | 08/01 |
| Reply deadline | 05/01 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from University of Kentucky?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Kentucky
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Kentucky, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Marketing, Business/Commerce, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Across all programs, University of Kentucky confers roughly 2,227 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Marketing program report a median income of about $68,574 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 369 | $68,574 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 352 | $68,803 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 302 | $72,876 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 297 | $80,396 |
| Psychology, General | 290 | $47,701 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 250 | $52,644 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 199 | $54,361 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 168 | $87,796 |
Is University of Kentucky safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Kentucky disclosed 240 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 9.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 43 violent offenses and 76 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Kentucky?
About 32% of undergraduates at University of Kentucky live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 20% of men join a fraternity and 33% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Kentucky parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Kentucky
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Kentucky recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Kentucky
What GPA do I need for University of Kentucky?
University of Kentucky has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Kentucky typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 530–650, with an EBRW midpoint near 602. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–28.
How much does University of Kentucky actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Kentucky after grants and scholarships is $17,218 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Kentucky realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Kentucky is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Kentucky?
University of Kentucky accepts about 92% of applicants out of roughly 31,517 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is University of Kentucky test-optional?
Yes. University of Kentucky is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at University of Kentucky?
About 71% of students at University of Kentucky graduate within six years. 87% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Kentucky look for in applicants?
University of Kentucky rates course rigor, GPA and the application essay as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Kentucky a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Kentucky is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky.
What are the most popular majors at University of Kentucky?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Kentucky by annual graduates are Marketing, Business/Commerce, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. The school awards about 2,227 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Kentucky safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Kentucky reported 240 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 9.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Kentucky?
At University of Kentucky, 32% of undergraduates live on campus, 20% of men are in fraternities, 33% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Kentucky, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.