Best colleges for education in Kentucky
University of Louisville ranks first in Kentucky for education value (#19 nationally, value score 83.7): graduates earn $74,873 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,960 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 10 Kentucky colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best education colleges in Kentucky
University of Louisville ranks first in Kentucky for education value (#19 nationally, value score 83.7): graduates earn $74,873 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,960 a year. 10 Kentucky colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $40,563 and the average net price is $13,678 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 10 Kentucky colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $40,563 and the average net price is $13,678 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Northern Kentucky University: $8,976 a year.
- Median earnings
- $40,563
- National: $48,822
- Median net price
- $13,678
- National: $17,201
- Median federal debt
- $21,280
- education graduates
- Public colleges
- 7 of 10
- in this list
10 colleges
The Kentucky ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Earnings
- $74,873
- Net price
- $14,960
- Federal debt
- $19,250
- Graduation rate
- 60%
- Earnings
- $51,379
- Net price
- $18,868
- Federal debt
- $21,060
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in Kentucky 3
Highland Heights, KY · Public · #363 nationally
39.9Value- Earnings
- $42,709
- Net price
- $8,976
- Federal debt
- $21,875
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Earnings
- $38,656
- Net price
- $12,395
- Federal debt
- $19,645
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Earnings
- $38,132
- Net price
- $11,237
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Rank in Kentucky 6
Louisville, KY · Private nonprofit · #430 nationally
31.6Value- Earnings
- $43,808
- Net price
- $17,991
- Federal debt
- $26,990
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Earnings
- $37,275
- Net price
- $10,471
- Federal debt
- $19,379
- Graduation rate
- 45%
- Earnings
- $38,951
- Net price
- $11,925
- Federal debt
- $25,250
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Rank in Kentucky 9
Campbellsville, KY · Private nonprofit · #492 nationally
22.4Value- Earnings
- $36,564
- Net price
- $17,734
- Federal debt
- $16,400
- Graduation rate
- 34%
- Earnings
- $42,174
- Net price
- $29,981
- Federal debt
- $21,742
- Graduation rate
- 45%
Method: the same value score as the national education ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about education colleges in Kentucky
What are the best colleges for education in Kentucky?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Kentucky colleges for education are University of Louisville (value score 83.7), University of Kentucky (value score 61.5) and Northern Kentucky University (value score 39.9). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Kentucky college has the highest earnings for education graduates?
University of Louisville: its education graduates have median earnings of $74,873 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable education college in Kentucky on this list?
Northern Kentucky University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Kentucky colleges, $8,976 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Kentucky colleges are ranked for education?
10 Kentucky colleges have a education bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Kentucky.