Paying for college · Kentucky
What college really costs in Kentucky
Average yearly net price after grants at 78 four-year colleges, lowest first. The figure for families earning under $30,000 shows how far need-based aid goes at each school.
Kentucky state grants
- College Access Program (CAP) Grant: Up to $5,300 a year at a four-year college, $2,500 at a two-year college (prorated for 6 to 11 credit hours). No summer awards.
- Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship: Tuition for up to 60 credit hours at the in-state KCTCS rate, plus up to $400 a year in fees, after other grants.
- Federal Pell Grant: up to $7,395 a year (2026–27)
Working while you study
$7.25/hour minimum wage
Kentucky follows the federal minimum wage.
All four-year colleges in Kentucky
| College | Avg net price | Income under $30k | Graduate | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson Community CollegeHenderson · public | $400 | — | — | $10,000 |
| Hazard Community and Technical CollegeHazard · public | $407 | — | — | $10,946 |
| Somerset Community CollegeSomerset · public | $543 | — | — | $11,000 |
| Hopkinsville Community CollegeHopkinsville · public | $617 | — | — | $9,521 |
| Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegePrestonsburg · public | $678 | — | — | $11,717 |
| Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical CollegeCumberland · public | $712 | $287 | — | $7,393 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown · public | $795 | — | — | $10,500 |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegePaducah · public | $795 | — | — | $10,187 |
| Ashland Community and Technical CollegeAshland · public | $1,009 | $155 | — | $9,750 |
| Maysville Community and Technical CollegeMaysville · public | $1,193 | $860 | — | $13,447 |
| Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorence · public | $1,391 | $803 | — | $10,500 |
| Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboro · public | $1,435 | $733 | — | $9,500 |
| Madisonville Community CollegeMadisonville · public | $1,585 | $540 | — | $9,000 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisville · public | $1,628 | $777 | — | $10,500 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington · public | $1,638 | $802 | — | $11,000 |
| South Eastern Beauty AcademyPaintsville · private | $3,186 | — | — | — |
| Galen College of Nursing-LouisvilleLouisville · private | $4,058 | — | 44% | $22,134 |
| Berea CollegeBerea · private | $5,836 | $5,373 | 66% | $5,500 |
| Kentucky Mountain Bible CollegeJackson · private | $6,392 | — | 62% | — |
| Murray State UniversityMurray · public | $7,350 | $7,357 | 60% | $19,500 |
| Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights · public | $8,976 | $6,260 | 54% | $20,750 |
| Berea Beauty AcademyBerea · private | $9,481 | — | — | — |
| Morehead State UniversityMorehead · public | $9,912 | $7,156 | 48% | $18,750 |
| Union Commonwealth UniversityBarbourville · private | $11,010 | $10,100 | 40% | $21,744 |
| Brighton Center's Center for Employment TrainingNewport · private | $11,396 | — | — | — |
| Appalachian Beauty SchoolBelfry · private | $11,431 | — | — | — |
| Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green · public | $11,789 | $9,356 | 56% | $19,500 |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond · public | $11,925 | $10,080 | 51% | $20,500 |
| Summit Salon Academy-LexingtonLexington · private | $13,231 | — | — | $7,917 |
| Georgetown CollegeGeorgetown · private | $13,270 | $8,445 | 49% | $20,500 |
| Edge Academy of BeautyManchester · private | $13,415 | — | — | — |
| University of the CumberlandsWilliamsburg · private | $13,885 | $13,501 | 50% | $14,827 |
| Employment Solutions-College for Technical EducationLexington · private | $14,039 | — | — | $9,833 |
| Lindsey Wilson UniversityColumbia · private | $14,300 | $12,976 | 41% | $16,250 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible CollegePineville · private | $14,560 | — | 53% | — |
| Brescia UniversityOwensboro · private | $14,909 | $17,160 | 49% | $25,000 |
| University of LouisvilleLouisville · public | $14,960 | $12,104 | 60% | $19,500 |
| Simmons College of KentuckyLouisville · private | $15,517 | — | 27% | — |
| Empire Beauty School-ChenowethLouisville · private | $16,180 | $14,943 | — | $9,847 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling GreenBowling Green · private | $16,214 | $15,153 | — | $7,917 |
| Empire Beauty School-FlorenceFlorence · private | $16,314 | $15,433 | — | $11,317 |
| American National University-LouisvilleLouisville · private | $16,410 | $15,753 | 80% | $25,818 |
| Interactive College of Technology-NewportNewport · private | $16,957 | — | — | $10,584 |
| Empire Beauty School-DixieLouisville · private | $17,135 | $16,113 | — | $10,222 |
| Empire Beauty School-ElizabethtownElizabethtown · private | $17,447 | $16,707 | — | $10,222 |
| Kentucky State UniversityFrankfort · public | $17,637 | $16,754 | 30% | $27,000 |
| Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsville · private | $17,734 | $16,816 | 34% | $14,750 |
| Bellarmine UniversityLouisville · private | $17,991 | $13,356 | 71% | $24,750 |
| Alice Lloyd CollegePippa Passes · private | $18,367 | $17,874 | 41% | $17,125 |
| University of KentuckyLexington · public | $18,868 | $12,528 | 72% | $19,500 |
| Regina Webb AcademyBowling Green · private | $19,092 | — | — | — |
| University of PikevillePikeville · private | $19,224 | $18,838 | 41% | $20,847 |
| Kentucky Wesleyan CollegeOwensboro · private | $19,409 | $17,839 | 46% | $23,250 |
| Centre CollegeDanville · private | $19,980 | $11,861 | 79% | $27,000 |
| Galen College of Nursing-ARHHazard · private | $20,342 | $20,303 | — | $22,134 |
| Lindsey Institute of CosmetologyBowling Green · private | $20,783 | — | — | — |
| Asbury UniversityWilmore · private | $21,061 | $18,484 | 65% | $22,804 |
| MedQuest CollegeLouisville · private | $21,236 | $21,362 | — | $9,385 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Bowling GreenBowling Green · private | $21,346 | — | — | $8,994 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-ErlangerErlanger · private | $21,389 | — | — | $8,996 |
| Ross College-HopkinsvilleHopkinsville · private | $21,670 | — | — | $8,996 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-GlasgowGlasgow · private | $21,683 | — | — | $9,833 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-OwensboroOwensboro · private | $21,826 | — | — | $8,996 |
| Transylvania UniversityLexington · private | $21,954 | $14,793 | 65% | $26,000 |
| Thomas More UniversityCrestview Hills · private | $22,723 | $18,243 | 49% | $25,000 |
| American College of BarberingLouisville · private | $23,675 | $23,227 | — | $14,143 |
| Kentucky Welding InstituteFlemingsburg · private | $24,051 | — | — | — |
| Spalding UniversityLouisville · private | $24,262 | $19,443 | 45% | $23,000 |
| Beckfield College-FlorenceFlorence · private | $24,359 | $23,800 | 24% | $24,598 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-LexingtonLexington · private | $24,431 | $21,714 | — | $9,833 |
| Kentucky Christian UniversityGrayson · private | $25,469 | $24,573 | 25% | $22,375 |
| Medical Career & Technical CollegeRichmond · private | $25,906 | $24,105 | — | $9,500 |
| ATA CollegeLouisville · private | $27,928 | — | — | $23,861 |
| Galen Health Institutes-PikevillePikeville · private | $28,117 | $27,792 | — | $22,134 |
| Sullivan UniversityLouisville · private | $28,420 | $28,208 | 24% | $16,910 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-LouisvilleLouisville · private | $28,904 | $25,372 | — | $9,833 |
| Midway UniversityMidway · private | $29,981 | $28,713 | 45% | $20,903 |
| Kentucky Horseshoeing SchoolRichmond · private | $30,169 | — | — | — |
Linked colleges have a full funding guide. More are added every week.
Short of what aid covers?
Students in Kentucky use My Study Fund to collect monthly support from family, friends and mentors, and receive every dollar.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; state program pages linked above, checked 2026-10-28. Four-year, campus-based public and private nonprofit colleges with complete net-price data.