University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · Public · Southeastern Conference
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
University of Kentucky admitted 93.5% of applicants university-wide (31,222 of 33,387).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 93.5% | 31,222 | 33,387 |
| In-state | 95.3% | 8,658 | 9,087 |
| Out-of-state | 93.0% | 21,588 | 23,214 |
| International applicants | 89.9% | 976 | 1,086 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Dec 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 31,222 admitted students, 6,960 enrolled (22.3% yield).
University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C1–C2 · 2025 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1058–1270
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 21–28
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C9–C12 · 2025 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $59,926/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $34,383 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $25,543 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $59,926/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $12,182 |
| $30k–48k | $12,119 |
| $48k–75k | $16,313 |
| $75k–110k | $21,192 |
| Over $110k | $26,781 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — $12,000 per year (Presidential)
- Provost Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Automatic)
- Commonwealth Scholarship — $8,000 per year (Automatic)
- Bluegrass Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Automatic)
- Wildcat Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Automatic)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship — $1,000 per year (Automatic)
- Otis Singletary Scholarship — Full tuition plus $5,000 annual stipend (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections G–H · 2025
Application requirements
US applicants
- Complete UK International Application for Undergraduate Admission or Common Application
- Official transcripts in English
- ACT/SAT scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Complete UK International Application for Undergraduate Admission or Common Application
- Official transcripts in English
- ACT/SAT scores (optional)
- Application fee
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
University of Kentucky · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $59,025
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 71.4%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 87%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $22,500
- At graduation
University of Kentucky · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #143
- WSJ: #309
- Forbes: #233
- Niche: #189
- QS: #781
Deadlines
- 2026-12-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2027-02-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C21–C22 · 2025
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (26%), Engineering (8%), Biological & life sciences (5%).
Student–faculty ratio: 18:1 · 33% of class sections have under 20 students.
University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.