2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking.
After analyzing 31 schools in Kentucky, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for veterans. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including the school's overall quality, the number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, and the percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our 2021 rankings named University of Kentucky the best school in Kentucky for veterans working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, the large public school handed out 7,882 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UK supports 29,986 students, and 985 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 555 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,601. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. UK also took the #1 spot in our Best Schools in Kentucky rankings.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list means University of Louisville is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UofL is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 5,110 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 22,211 students enrolled at UofL, 854 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 518 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,524. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
UofL also took the #4 spot in our Best Schools in Kentucky rankings.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list means Murray State University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 2,132 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Murray State supports 9,449 students, and 395 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 206 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,982. Murray State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list means Northern Kentucky University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large public school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 3,045 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 16,211 students enrolled at NKU, 491 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 280 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,326. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, NKU also did well on our Best Schools in Kentucky list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Out of the 31 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Cumberlands landed the #5 spot on the list. Cumberlands is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Williamsburg, Kentucky. It awarded 4,149 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Cumberlands supports 19,110 students, and 166 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 100 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,508. Cumberlands does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
In addition to its great veterans ranking, Cumberlands is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Kentucky list.
Bellarmine University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 998 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,293 students enrolled at Bellarmine U, 109 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 79 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,291. On top of their other funding sources, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, Bellarmine U also did well on our Best Schools in Kentucky list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Eastern Kentucky University landed the #7 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. Eastern is a fairly large public school situated in Richmond, Kentucky. It awarded 3,709 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Eastern supports 14,465 students, and 919 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 551 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,467. Eastern does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a ranking of #8, Western Kentucky University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. WKU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,283 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 17,517 students enrolled at WKU, 832 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 410 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,802. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #9, Morehead State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. Morehead State University is a public institution located in Morehead, Kentucky. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,591 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 195 of the 9,304 students enrolled at Morehead State University were GI Bill® students, of which 74 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,690. Morehead State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Thomas More University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. Located in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 498 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 2,037 students enrolled at Thomas More, 49 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,954. To help with additional expenses, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #11, West Kentucky Community and Technical College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. West Kentucky Community and Technical College is located in Paducah, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 606 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, West Kentucky Community and Technical College supports 4,893 students, and 145 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 87 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,515. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read full report on West Kentucky Community and Technical College
University of Pikeville did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #12. UPIKE is located in Pikeville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 445 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 2,240 students enrolled at UPIKE, 32 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,124. UPIKE does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Sullivan University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #13. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 936 students in 2019-2020.
Of the 3,165 students enrolled at Sullivan University, 363 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 264 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,672. In addition to receiving other benefits, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Spalding University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 473 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,596 students enrolled at Spalding, 58 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 41 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,808. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Midway University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. Midway University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Midway, Kentucky that handed out 308 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 39 of the 1,381 students enrolled at Midway were GI Bill® students, of which 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,030. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Lindsey Wilson College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Columbia, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 623 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 47 of the 2,764 students enrolled at Lindsey Wilson College were GI Bill® students, of which 37 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,133. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Lindsey Wilson College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Campbellsville University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3,771 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Campbellsville University supports 12,771 students, and 133 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 86 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,230. To help with additional expenses, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #18, Kentucky State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. Kentucky State University is a small public school located in Frankfort, Kentucky that handed out 203 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 43 of the 2,290 students enrolled at KY State were GI Bill® students, of which 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,071. KY State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Transylvania University landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 205 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Transylvania supports 963 students, and 14 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,363. During this same period, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Transylvania did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Schools in Kentucky list.
Madisonville Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. This small public school is located in Madisonville, Kentucky, and it awarded 398 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Madisonville Community College supports 3,104 students, and 99 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 53 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,841. Madisonville Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Owensboro Community and Technical College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. Owensboro, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 743 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,901 students enrolled at Owensboro Community and Technical College, 87 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 58 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,412. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read full report on Owensboro Community and Technical College
Asbury University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking, coming in at #22. Asbury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wilmore, Kentucky. It awarded 449 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Asbury supports 1,741 students, and 21 of those are GI Bill® students. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,335. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Asbury also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in Kentucky list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Georgetown College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. Located in Georgetown, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 425 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Georgetown College supports 1,565 students, and 29 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 12 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,329. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Georgetown College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Kentucky list.
Union College Kentucky landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky ranking. Barbourville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 304 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,179 students enrolled at Union College, 33 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,383. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #25, Centre College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Kentucky list. Danville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 406 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,333 students enrolled at Centre College of Kentucky, 9 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,499. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Centre College of Kentucky did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Schools in Kentucky list.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
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Best Colleges in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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