2027 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Kentucky
[Animal Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for animal science students.
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2027 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in animal science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Animal Science Schools
For return on investment in animal science, no school beat Murray State University this year. Located in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,900, compared with $19,836 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for animal science graduates is $23,420. Animal Science graduates of Murray State University earn a median of $48,423 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Morehead State University one of the best values for animal science. Set in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,024 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,980. Animal Science graduates carry a median of $25,896 in student loans. Early-career animal science graduates make about $41,046. Set against $25,896 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Morehead State University admits about 77% of applicants.
Eastern Kentucky University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in animal science, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,320, while out-of-state students pay about $21,230. Animal Science graduates carry a median of $25,122 in student loans. Early-career animal science graduates make about $43,891. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Kentucky University admits about 78% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in animal science will find it at University Of Kentucky, which ranked #4. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, while out-of-state students pay about $34,140. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the animal science program here. Animal Science graduates of University Of Kentucky earn a median of $27,144 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
More Animal Science Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
