by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending University of Kentucky, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
Cost of attendance at University of Kentucky ranged from $32,291.00 through $52,929.00 across residency tiers.
Where you live mattered — in-state students paid less than out-of-state students: near $32,291.00 for in-state students versus $52,929.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $13,502.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,789.00 |
| Total cost | $32,291.00 |
| That is 68% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,291.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,540.00 |
| Net price | $16,751.00 |
| That is 13% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,291.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$22,209.00 |
| Net price | $10,082.00 |
| That is 48% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $34,140.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,789.00 |
| Total cost | $52,929.00 |
| That is 175% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $52,929.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,540.00 |
| Net price | $37,389.00 |
| That is 94% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $52,929.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$22,209.00 |
| Net price | $30,720.00 |
| That is 60% above the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at a recent average of 2.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Freshman year | $10,345.00 | $17,187.00 | $33,132.00 |
| Senior year | $11,174.00 | $18,565.00 | $35,788.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $43,022.00 | $71,481.00 | $137,794.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,390.00 | $27,232.00 | $52,495.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $495.00 | $823.00 | $1,586.00 |
| Total amount paid | $59,413.00 | $98,712.00 | $190,289.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Freshman year | $10,345.00 | $17,187.00 | $33,132.00 |
| Senior year | $10,614.00 | $17,635.00 | $33,995.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $20,958.00 | $34,822.00 | $67,126.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $7,984.00 | $13,266.00 | $25,573.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $241.00 | $401.00 | $772.00 |
| Total amount paid | $28,943.00 | $48,088.00 | $92,699.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Freshman year | $31,520.00 | $38,363.00 | $54,307.00 |
| Senior year | $34,047.00 | $41,438.00 | $58,661.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $131,090.00 | $159,548.00 | $225,862.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $49,941.00 | $60,782.00 | $86,045.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,509.00 | $1,836.00 | $2,599.00 |
| Total amount paid | $181,031.00 | $220,331.00 | $311,907.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Freshman year | $31,520.00 | $38,363.00 | $54,307.00 |
| Senior year | $32,341.00 | $39,361.00 | $55,721.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $63,861.00 | $77,724.00 | $110,029.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $24,329.00 | $29,610.00 | $41,917.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $735.00 | $894.00 | $1,266.00 |
| Total amount paid | $88,189.00 | $107,334.00 | $151,945.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net-price section.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $18,851.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $17,218.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $10,267.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $11,329.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,557.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,655.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,687.00 |
Use University of Kentucky Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of University of Kentucky stands at $16,750.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $5,898.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,750.00 |
| 75th | $26,885.00 |
| 90th | $32,400.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt detail.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,007.00 |
| Middle income | $17,471.00 |
| High income | $15,946.00 |
Graduates from lower-income families carry $1,061.00 in additional median debt versus high-income graduates.
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,250.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,750.00 |
First-gen students at University of Kentucky take on $1,500.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at University of Kentucky stands at $3,918.00. This school carries a federal Pell-debt-inequity flag.
The default-rate category at University of Kentucky is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.1% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at University of Kentucky total $1,934,970,831.00 across 70,278 student borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 563 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $10,920.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 32 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,461.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veterans benefits detail.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh University of Kentucky, a few questions are worth asking:
Dig further into the cost picture with the related pages below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.