Tuition Trends for Kentucky colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 86 colleges in Kentucky - 24 public and 62 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Kentucky is $10,908 for Kentucky residents and $22,412 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $27,361. For Kentucky community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $4,662 for state residents and $6,198 for out-of-state students.

Kentucky public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 21.96% from $8,944 (2015) to $10,908 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 9.16% over the past decade from $20,532 (2015) to $22,412 (2024). In private Kentucky colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 26.99%, from $20,593 (2015) to $26,152 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 15.60% when living on campus and by 18.72% when living off campus at public Kentucky colleges. For private Kentucky colleges, the COA has increased by 26.74% (on-campus) and 29.71% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Kentucky colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$21,303	$32,891	$32,952	$21,746	$33,334	$33,395
2015-16	$21,802 2.34%	$33,811 2.80%	$33,544 1.80%	$22,194 2.06%	$34,203 2.61%	$33,936 1.62%
2016-17	$22,775 4.46%	$34,337 1.56%	$35,041 4.46%	$22,830 2.87%	$34,392 0.55%	$35,096 3.42%
2017-18	$23,534 3.33%	$35,597 3.67%	$36,063 2.92%	$23,824 4.35%	$35,887 4.35%	$36,353 3.58%
2018-19	$23,731 0.84%	$36,094 1.40%	$37,416 3.75%	$24,199 1.57%	$36,562 1.88%	$37,884 4.21%
2019-20	$23,949 0.92%	$35,715 -1.05%	$37,587 0.46%	$24,824 2.58%	$36,590 0.08%	$38,462 1.53%
2020-21	$24,449 2.09%	$35,511 -0.57%	$38,333 1.98%	$25,358 2.15%	$36,420 -0.46%	$39,242 2.03%
2021-22	$24,765 1.29%	$35,946 1.22%	$39,349 2.65%	$25,810 1.78%	$36,991 1.57%	$40,394 2.94%
2022-23	$25,394 2.54%	$36,688 2.06%	$39,638 0.73%	$26,333 2.03%	$37,627 1.72%	$40,577 0.45%
2023-24	$26,518 4.43%	$38,022 3.64%	$41,762 5.36%	$28,071 6.60%	$39,575 5.18%	$43,315 6.75%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Kentucky colleges is $10,908 for Kentucky residents and $22,412 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $26,152.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $13,088 for Kentucky residents and $18,791 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $11,975.

The tuition & fees has increased 9.16% for undergraduate programs at Kentucky colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Kentucky colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$8,944	$20,532	$20,593	$10,341	$18,353	$9,376
2015-16	$9,232 3.22%	$21,241 3.45%	$20,974 1.85%	$10,727 3.73%	$19,155 4.37%	$9,852 5.08%
2016-17	$9,604 4.03%	$21,166 -0.35%	$21,870 4.27%	$11,027 2.80%	$19,953 4.17%	$10,408 5.64%
2017-18	$9,971 3.82%	$22,034 4.10%	$22,500 2.88%	$10,982 -0.41%	$19,481 -2.37%	$10,215 -1.85%
2018-19	$10,125 1.54%	$22,488 2.06%	$23,810 5.82%	$11,062 0.73%	$18,240 -6.37%	$10,669 4.44%
2019-20	$10,307 1.80%	$22,073 -1.85%	$23,945 0.57%	$11,094 0.29%	$18,437 1.08%	$10,586 -0.78%
2020-21	$10,452 1.41%	$21,514 -2.53%	$24,336 1.63%	$11,218 1.12%	$18,654 1.18%	$10,243 -3.24%
2021-22	$10,573 1.16%	$21,754 1.12%	$25,157 3.37%	$11,253 0.31%	$18,446 -1.12%	$11,051 7.89%
2022-23	$10,615 0.40%	$21,909 0.71%	$24,859 -1.18%	$11,320 0.60%	$17,806 -3.47%	$10,515 -4.85%
2023-24	$10,908 2.76%	$22,412 2.30%	$26,152 5.20%	$12,527 10.66%	$18,221 2.33%	$11,511 9.47%

Kentucky 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Kentucky Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Kentucky colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,324
2015-16	$1,344 1.51%
2016-17	$1,360 1.19%
2017-18	$1,404 3.24%
2018-19	$1,328 -5.41%
2019-20	$1,318 -0.75%
2020-21	$1,268 -3.79%
2021-22	$1,242 -2.05%
2022-23	$1,183 -4.75%
2023-24	$1,188 0.42%

Living Costs Changes

For Kentucky colleges, the living have increased 18.72% when a student lives on campus facilities and 22.47% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Kentucky colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$11,035	$12,089
2015-16	$11,226 2.25%	$12,264 1.96%
2016-17	$11,811 5.59%	$12,776 2.44%
2017-18	$12,159 2.78%	$13,238 4.76%
2018-19	$12,278 1.19%	$13,233 5.20%
2019-20	$12,324 1.37%	$13,537 3.28%
2020-21	$12,729 1.91%	$14,020 1.47%
2021-22	$12,950 2.73%	$14,412 2.44%
2022-23	$13,596 3.90%	$15,050 2.97%
2023-24	$14,422 4.55%	$15,929 11.02%

Most Searched Kentucky Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

University of Kentucky Public, four-years | Lexington
University of Louisville Public, four-years | Louisville
Western Kentucky University Public, four-years | Bowling Green
Murray State University Public, four-years | Murray
Eastern Kentucky University Public, four-years | Richmond
Northern Kentucky University Public, four-years | Highland Heights
Kentucky State University Public, four-years | Frankfort
Georgetown College Private, four-years | Georgetown
Morehead State University Public, four-years | Morehead
Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Private, Less than 2-years | Louisville

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Graduate

University of Louisville Public, four-years | Louisville
University of Kentucky Public, four-years | Lexington
Lindsey Wilson College Private, four-years | Columbia
Thomas More University Private, four-years | Crestview Hills
University of the Cumberlands Private, four-years | Williamsburg
Campbellsville University Private, four-years | Campbellsville
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Private, four-years | Louisville
Simmons College of Kentucky Private, four-years | Louisville
Western Kentucky University Public, four-years | Bowling Green
Murray State University Public, four-years | Murray

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Online Schools

Western Kentucky University Public, four-years | Bowling Green
University of Kentucky Public, four-years | Lexington
Murray State University Public, four-years | Murray
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Elizabethtown
Kentucky Mountain Bible College Private, four-years | Jackson
MedQuest College Private, 2-4 years | Louisville
Beckfield College-Florence Private, four-years | Florence
University of the Cumberlands Private, four-years | Williamsburg
University of Pikeville Private, four-years | Pikeville
Hopkinsville Community College Public, 2-4 years | Hopkinsville

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Trade Schools

MedQuest College Private, 2-4 years | Louisville
Hopkinsville Community College Public, 2-4 years | Hopkinsville
Appalachian Beauty School Private, Less than 2-years | Belfry
Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington Private, Less than 2-years | Lexington
American College of Barbering Private, Less than 2-years | Louisville
Allure Beauty College Private, Less than 2-years | Whitesburg
Ross College-Hopkinsville Private, 2-4 years | Hopkinsville
Empire Beauty School-Florence Private, Less than 2-years | Florence
Daymar College-Bellevue Private, 2-4 years | Bellevue
Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology Private, Less than 2-years | Bowling Green

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Tuition Trends for Kentucky colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes