University of Louisville: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Louisville, Kentucky · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky that admits about 81% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $17,634 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 61% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 11.5 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Louisville is a public institution located in Louisville, Kentucky. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Louisville admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 81%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1147 and an ACT composite around 24. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $17,634 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Louisville 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 Louisville?
University of Louisville 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 Louisville weight in admissions?
University of Louisville 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
- • Standardized test scores
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Louisville typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–620, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–27. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1010 |
| 50th percentile | 1120 |
| 75th percentile | 1230 |
| % submitting SAT | 18.2% |
| 25th percentile | 19 |
| 50th percentile | 23 |
| 75th percentile | 27 |
| % submitting ACT | 84.8% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
How much does University of Louisville actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,828 for in-state students and $29,174 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $11,690 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $17,634 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 29% 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) | $17,634 |
| Application fee | $30 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Louisville
| Regular deadline | August 1 |
| Notification date | Notification on a continuous/rolling basis (December 1) |
Will my child graduate from University of Louisville?
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 Louisville
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Louisville, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness and Psychology, General. Across all programs, University of Louisville confers roughly 1,493 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $73,116 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 281 | $73,116 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 228 | $52,717 |
| Psychology, General | 221 | $47,915 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 177 | $51,634 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 174 | $56,902 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 144 | $58,354 |
| Marketing | 135 | $70,079 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 133 | — |
Is University of Louisville safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Louisville disclosed 169 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 11.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 14 violent offenses and 5 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.
Other colleges in Kentucky parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Louisville
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Louisville 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 Louisville
What GPA do I need for University of Louisville?
University of Louisville 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 Louisville typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–620, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–27.
How much does University of Louisville actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Louisville after grants and scholarships is $17,634 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 Louisville 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 Louisville 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 Louisville?
University of Louisville accepts about 81% of applicants out of roughly 15,668 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is University of Louisville test-optional?
Yes. University of Louisville 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 Louisville?
About 61% of students at University of Louisville graduate within six years, and 44% finish in four years. 82% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Louisville look for in applicants?
University of Louisville rates course rigor and GPA 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 Louisville a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Louisville is a public institution located in Louisville, Kentucky.
What are the most popular majors at University of Louisville?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Louisville by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness and Psychology, General. The school awards about 1,493 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Louisville safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Louisville reported 169 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 11.5 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Louisville, 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.