In-state vs. out-of-state tuition at Kentucky
Kentucky charges $13,502 a year in published tuition and fees for Kentucky residents, about $6,751 a semester, and $34,140 a year for students from other states, about $17,070 a semester, a difference of $20,638. About 42% of first-year students came from out of state. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Compare out-of-state tuition at 100 public universities →
What makes Kentucky different
- Accessible admission. UK admitted 93.5% of applicants for fall 2025.
- Health care on campus. UK HealthCare's hospitals are part of campus, and nursing is the university's largest major.
- Bluegrass country. Lexington is a mid-sized city surrounded by horse farms.
What Kentucky students study
The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): nursing (339), marketing (305), business (292), psychology (283), finance (274) and communication (230). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.
You may thrive at Kentucky if…
- You're interested in nursing, health or business.
- You want a large SEC university that admits most applicants.
- You'd like a mid-sized city with a strong college presence.
Worth asking about
- How do students get into nursing and other limited-entry programs?
- What scholarships are available to out-of-state students?
How Kentucky compares with the other SEC schools
Kentucky is one of the SEC's most accessible schools to get into, with health sciences at its center. See how the 16 SEC schools differ.
FAQ
What is Kentucky's acceptance rate? 93.5% for fall 2025: 31,222 of 33,387 first-year applicants were admitted, according to its Common Data Set 2025–26. Source For fall 2024 it was 92.9%.
What is Kentucky's out-of-state acceptance rate? 93.0% for fall 2025, compared with 95.3% for Kentucky residents. Kentucky admitted 21,588 of 23,214 out-of-state applicants and 8,658 of 9,087 Kentucky residents, according to UK's Common Data Set for 2025–26. Source International applicants are counted separately. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $34,140 a year before aid; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Compare out-of-state acceptance rates at public universities →
What is Kentucky known for? Health care and nursing, its Lexington setting, and admitting most applicants.
How much does Kentucky cost? Published tuition and fees are $13,502 a year in-state and $34,140 out-of-state, before any aid.
How much is UK tuition per semester? About $6,751 a semester for Kentucky residents and $17,070 for out-of-state students, based on published yearly tuition and fees of $13,502 and $34,140 before aid.
Is UK an R1 university? Yes. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, the University of Kentucky is an R1 university, the group with the highest research spending and doctoral degrees. What R1 means →
How many students go to UK? About 24,800 undergraduates (fall 2024).
Wondering if health care fits you?
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