Data shows that students paid $14,085 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $653 more than the previous school year.
Among the 78 institutions providing full disclosure in the state, Centre College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $48,070. Bellarmine University followed with an average of $46,030 per year. Somerset Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,560.
Currently there are 79 higher education institutions in Kentucky.
At the time, at least $433.6 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started college in Kentucky. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $98.1 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 79 institutions in Kentucky, Lexington Healing Arts Academy did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Average Tuition Fees | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Centre College | $48,070 | 1,357 |
| Bellarmine University | $46,030 | 2,343 |
| Berea College | $45,026 | 1,433 |
| Transylvania University | $43,670 | 979 |
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville | $42,420 | 3,999 |
| Georgetown College | $41,600 | 1,233 |
| Thomas More University | $35,810 | 1,829 |
| Asbury University | $33,146 | 1,404 |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College | $31,300 | 813 |
| Union College | $30,946 | 724 |
| Kentucky Horseshoeing School | $29,000 | 26 |
| Brescia University | $27,950 | 551 |
| Spalding University | $27,300 | 767 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | $26,228 | 1,753 |
| Campbellsville University | $26,100 | 6,411 |
| Midway University | $25,050 | 1,203 |
| Kentucky Christian University | $23,700 | 577 |
| University of Pikeville | $23,150 | 1,491 |
| University of Kentucky | $20,190 | 22,735 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington | $19,316 | 172 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville | $18,715 | 193 |
| Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown | $18,345 | 106 |
| Empire Beauty School-Dixie | $18,345 | 78 |
| American College of Barbering | $17,250 | 56 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow | $17,216 | 44 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green | $17,216 | 279 |
| Empire Beauty School-Florence | $17,145 | 95 |
| Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth | $17,145 | 89 |
| University of Louisville | $16,933 | 15,921 |
| Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education | $16,780 | 128 |
| Simmons College of Kentucky | $16,398 | 237 |
| Ross College-Hopkinsville | $16,297 | 48 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Owensboro | $16,297 | 30 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Erlanger | $16,297 | 52 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Bowling Green | $16,297 | 31 |
| Galen College of Nursing-ARH | $15,860 | 470 |
| Western Kentucky University | $15,766 | 14,440 |
| Regina Webb Academy | $15,500 | 15 |
| Medical Career & Technical College | $15,275 | 93 |
| Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology | $15,100 | 60 |
| Alice Lloyd College | $14,250 | 565 |
| Sullivan University | $14,220 | 1,844 |
| ATA College | $13,790 | 264 |
| MedQuest College | $13,776 | 360 |
| Ideal Beauty Academy | $13,600 | 12 |
| Northern Kentucky University | $13,490 | 10,776 |
| Beckfield College-Florence | $13,295 | 653 |
| Murray State University | $12,941 | 7,679 |
| South Eastern Beauty Academy | $12,400 | 19 |
| The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary | $12,000 | 1,018 |
| Kentucky State University | $11,981 | 1,610 |
| Appalachian Beauty School | $10,915 | 39 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | $10,778 | 12,072 |
| Interactive College of Technology-Newport | $10,610 | 119 |
| Allure Beauty College | $10,500 | 25 |
| Morehead State University | $10,332 | 8,215 |
| American National University-Pikeville | $10,314 | 237 |
| Kentucky Mountain Bible College | $10,060 | 78 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College | $9,970 | 133 |
| University of the Cumberlands | $9,875 | 5,174 |
| Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training | $9,185 | 64 |
| Summit Salon Academy-Lexington | $7,800 | 96 |
| Hopkinsville Community College | $6,198 | 2,028 |
| Ashland Community and Technical College | $5,434 | 2,515 |
| Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College | $5,215 | 2,625 |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College | $5,215 | 5,309 |
| Owensboro Community and Technical College | $4,997 | 4,621 |
| Maysville Community and Technical College | $4,888 | 3,974 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College | $4,861 | 12,053 |
| Gateway Community and Technical College | $4,858 | 4,440 |
| Henderson Community College | $4,778 | 1,506 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College | $4,749 | 10,318 |
| Big Sandy Community and Technical College | $4,669 | 2,576 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical College | $4,669 | 5,648 |
| Madisonville Community College | $4,669 | 3,493 |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College | $4,669 | 4,732 |
| Hazard Community and Technical College | $4,560 | 2,556 |
| Somerset Community College | $4,560 | 5,529 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up