State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard
Cheapest Colleges in Kentucky
According to U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 77 Kentucky colleges ranked by average net price, what students actually paid after grant and scholarship aid, not the published sticker price.
- $2,955
- Cheapest net price
- $16,512
- Kentucky median
- 77
- Schools ranked
Data updated June 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage
The list in one line
Hazard Community and Technical College has the lowest average net price in Kentucky at $2,955/year, and the state's median net price is 3% below the $17,083 national median across 4,942 schools.
- $2,955
- cheapest ranked net price
- $16,512
- Kentucky median net price
- 24 public / 53 private
- schools in this ranking
- $13,928
- avg net price, <$30K income families
Average net price is the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, not counting loans that must be repaid. A very low figure at a specialty or religious institution can reflect a narrow enrollment mix rather than typical affordability, check the sector label and enrollment before comparing.
Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Berea College, where in-state published tuition of $51,658 falls to an average net price of $6,106 after aid, a $45,552 gap. This is the widest sticker-to-net-price gap among ranked Kentucky schools, and a reminder that published tuition alone is a poor guide to what most admitted students actually pay.
Across all 77 ranked Kentucky schools, 24 are public institutions and 53 are private (nonprofit or for-profit). Sector is shown next to every school below because a low sticker-adjacent price at a small religious, seminary, or specialty school can reflect an unusual enrollment mix rather than broad affordability, check enrollment and sector before drawing conclusions from rank alone.
Average net price also blends every income bracket into one figure, so a family's own bracket can land well above or below the number shown here. Federal reporting requires an institution to have enough surveyed aid recipients in a bracket before that bracket is published, so a very small school can show only a partial income-bracket breakdown even when its overall average net price is fully reported. Use the school's own profile page for the full income-bracket table before treating a single average as a personal cost estimate.
Kentucky's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard, KY · Public | $2,955 90% of the leader · rank #1 | $2,426 | $10,125 | $26,147 | 3,039 |
| 2 | Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green, KY · Public | $3,537 88% of the leader · rank #2 | $3,152 | $10,175 | $32,195 | 5,084 |
| 3 | Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland, KY · Public | $3,731 87% of the leader · rank #3 | $2,963 | $6,919 | $26,999 | 3,144 |
| 4 | Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg, KY · Public | $3,873 87% of the leader · rank #4 | $3,198 | $9,357 | $28,106 | 2,583 |
| 5 | Henderson Community College Henderson, KY · Public | $4,232 86% of the leader · rank #5 | $3,040 | $10,483 | $31,551 | 1,606 |
| 6 | Somerset Community College Somerset, KY · Public | $4,398 85% of the leader · rank #6 | $3,671 | $12,215 | $27,858 | 5,766 |
| 7 | Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville, KY · Public | $4,605 84% of the leader · rank #7 | $3,965 | $11,500 | $27,631 | 4,296 |
| 8 | Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown, KY · Public | $5,143 83% of the leader · rank #8 | $4,080 | $9,055 | $32,562 | 6,204 |
| 9 | South Eastern Beauty Academy Paintsville, KY · Private for-profit | $5,183 82% of the leader · rank #9 | $5,183 | - | - | 19 |
| 10 | West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY · Public | $5,353 82% of the leader · rank #10 | $4,345 | $8,986 | $29,823 | 5,132 |
| 11 | Madisonville Community College Madisonville, KY · Public | $5,406 82% of the leader · rank #11 | $3,843 | $8,450 | $31,257 | 3,535 |
| 12 | Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland, KY · Public | $5,717 81% of the leader · rank #12 | $4,881 | $10,950 | $30,330 | 2,559 |
| 13 | Gateway Community and Technical College Edgewood, KY · Public | $5,725 81% of the leader · rank #13 | $4,932 | $10,711 | $34,492 | 4,752 |
| 14 | Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY · Public | $5,800 80% of the leader · rank #14 | $4,554 | $7,933 | $31,283 | 4,694 |
| 15 | Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville, KY · Public | $5,875 80% of the leader · rank #15 | $5,402 | $10,691 | $32,645 | 2,156 |
| 16 | Berea College Berea, KY · Private nonprofit | $6,106 79% of the leader · rank #16 | $5,428 | $3,591 | $35,676 | 1,487 |
| 17 | Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington, KY · Public | $6,113 79% of the leader · rank #17 | $4,728 | $10,500 | $32,081 | 11,619 |
| 18 | Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY · Public | $6,376 78% of the leader · rank #18 | $5,441 | $11,651 | $32,950 | 12,574 |
| 19 | Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY · Public | $8,040 73% of the leader · rank #19 | $10,225 | $25,938 | $29,640 | 1,689 |
| 20 | Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY · Public | $8,191 72% of the leader · rank #20 | $2,603 | $23,000 | $42,105 | 14,961 |
| 21 | Brescia University Owensboro, KY · Private nonprofit | $8,709 71% of the leader · rank #21 | $8,977 | $29,430 | $39,897 | 638 |
| 22 | Murray State University Murray, KY · Public | $9,096 69% of the leader · rank #22 | $6,242 | $20,500 | $38,473 | 9,841 |
| 23 | Kentucky Mountain Bible College Jackson, KY · Private nonprofit | $9,337 68% of the leader · rank #23 | $5,773 | - | $21,778 | 87 |
| 24 | Morehead State University Morehead, KY · Public | $9,793 67% of the leader · rank #24 | $7,150 | $22,250 | $37,131 | 8,618 |
| 25 | Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training Newport, KY · Private nonprofit | $10,813 63% of the leader · rank #25 | $10,813 | - | $24,025 | 68 |
See all 77 ranked Kentucky schools →
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Pineville, KY · Private nonprofit | $10,949 63% of the leader · rank #26 | $11,401 | - | $35,559 | 159 |
| 27 | Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY · Public | $10,990 63% of the leader · rank #27 | $7,087 | $22,095 | $38,156 | 16,759 |
| 28 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY · Public | $11,040 63% of the leader · rank #28 | $8,591 | $22,500 | $38,611 | 15,008 |
| 29 | Appalachian Beauty School Belfry, KY · Private for-profit | $12,742 57% of the leader · rank #29 | $12,364 | - | - | 43 |
| 30 | Regina Webb Academy Bowling Green, KY · Private for-profit | $13,205 55% of the leader · rank #30 | $13,205 | - | - | 15 |
| 31 | Edge Academy of Beauty Manchester, KY · Private for-profit | $14,094 52% of the leader · rank #31 | $14,094 | - | - | 37 |
| 32 | Georgetown College Georgetown, KY · Private nonprofit | $14,095 52% of the leader · rank #32 | $9,777 | $25,200 | $40,393 | 1,463 |
| 33 | University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY · Private nonprofit | $14,107 52% of the leader · rank #33 | $10,736 | $14,911 | $39,046 | 20,327 |
| 34 | Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $14,240 52% of the leader · rank #34 | $13,677 | $10,667 | $20,215 | 83 |
| 35 | Summit Salon Academy-Lexington Lexington, KY · Private for-profit | $14,778 50% of the leader · rank #35 | $13,463 | $7,917 | $18,903 | 123 |
| 36 | Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY · Private nonprofit | $15,070 49% of the leader · rank #36 | $14,745 | $16,784 | $34,861 | 4,055 |
| 37 | Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology Bowling Green, KY · Private for-profit | $16,140 45% of the leader · rank #37 | $16,140 | - | $21,835 | 65 |
| 38 | Empire Beauty School-Florence Florence, KY · Private for-profit | $16,328 45% of the leader · rank #38 | $15,427 | $13,000 | $19,338 | 124 |
| 39 | Interactive College of Technology-Newport Newport, KY · Private for-profit | $16,512 44% of the leader · rank #39 | $15,649 | $10,555 | $28,375 | 73 |
| 40 | Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, KY · Private for-profit | $16,618 44% of the leader · rank #40 | $15,769 | $10,667 | $19,897 | 158 |
| 41 | American National University-Pikeville Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $17,010 42% of the leader · rank #41 | $16,977 | $23,618 | $26,172 | 329 |
| 42 | Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY · Private nonprofit | $17,131 42% of the leader · rank #42 | $13,951 | $23,250 | $35,895 | 834 |
| 43 | Empire Beauty School-Dixie Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $17,764 40% of the leader · rank #43 | $17,358 | $10,667 | $19,174 | 80 |
| 44 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY · Public | $17,988 39% of the leader · rank #44 | $15,138 | $20,500 | $46,571 | 22,139 |
| 45 | Simmons College of Kentucky Louisville, KY · Private nonprofit | $18,434 38% of the leader · rank #45 | $18,434 | - | $22,732 | 389 |
| 46 | Galen College of Nursing-Louisville Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $18,540 37% of the leader · rank #46 | $18,116 | $24,166 | $58,951 | 4,794 |
| 47 | Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY · Private nonprofit | $18,600 37% of the leader · rank #47 | $17,444 | $19,599 | $35,174 | 553 |
| 48 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public | $18,851 36% of the leader · rank #48 | $12,182 | $22,500 | $47,266 | 32,703 |
| 49 | Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY · Private nonprofit | $19,341 35% of the leader · rank #49 | $17,880 | $17,156 | $34,639 | 12,451 |
| 50 | Ross Medical Education Center-Erlanger Erlanger, KY · Private for-profit | $19,448 34% of the leader · rank #50 | $19,448 | $9,500 | $28,207 | 67 |
| 51 | Ross College-Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, KY · Private for-profit | $19,909 33% of the leader · rank #51 | $19,704 | $9,500 | $28,207 | 65 |
| 52 | Ross Medical Education Center-Bowling Green Bowling Green, KY · Private for-profit | $20,062 32% of the leader · rank #52 | $19,967 | $9,500 | $26,485 | 66 |
| 53 | University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY · Private nonprofit | $20,311 31% of the leader · rank #53 | $13,115 | $20,679 | $34,508 | 2,610 |
| 54 | Centre College Danville, KY · Private nonprofit | $20,781 30% of the leader · rank #54 | $11,364 | $27,000 | $50,073 | 1,356 |
| 55 | Galen College of Nursing-ARH Hazard, KY · Private for-profit | $21,164 28% of the leader · rank #55 | $22,159 | $24,166 | $58,951 | 424 |
| 56 | Ross Medical Education Center-Owensboro Owensboro, KY · Private for-profit | $21,224 28% of the leader · rank #56 | $20,819 | $9,500 | $27,138 | 29 |
| 57 | Union College Barbourville, KY · Private nonprofit | $21,311 28% of the leader · rank #57 | $12,214 | $24,250 | $36,529 | 1,129 |
| 58 | Asbury University Wilmore, KY · Private nonprofit | $21,401 28% of the leader · rank #58 | $18,455 | $24,028 | $35,563 | 1,942 |
| 59 | Bellarmine University Louisville, KY · Private nonprofit | $21,499 27% of the leader · rank #59 | $18,430 | $25,000 | $49,819 | 2,993 |
| 60 | MedQuest College Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $21,782 26% of the leader · rank #60 | $20,997 | $9,500 | $29,291 | 273 |
| 61 | Thomas More University Crestview Hills, KY · Private nonprofit | $21,835 26% of the leader · rank #61 | $15,841 | $26,236 | $47,148 | 1,947 |
| 62 | Transylvania University Lexington, KY · Private nonprofit | $21,913 26% of the leader · rank #62 | $14,551 | $27,000 | $40,447 | 1,022 |
| 63 | American College of Barbering Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $22,210 25% of the leader · rank #63 | $21,473 | $14,143 | $14,137 | 75 |
| 64 | Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education Lexington, KY · Private nonprofit | $22,871 23% of the leader · rank #64 | $22,871 | $11,600 | $17,524 | 200 |
| 65 | Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington Lexington, KY · Private for-profit | $23,464 21% of the leader · rank #65 | $21,499 | $9,833 | $21,361 | 204 |
| 66 | Kentucky Christian University Grayson, KY · Private nonprofit | $24,038 19% of the leader · rank #66 | $23,241 | $22,250 | $39,921 | 541 |
| 67 | Spalding University Louisville, KY · Private nonprofit | $25,491 14% of the leader · rank #67 | $20,509 | $25,250 | $42,870 | 1,555 |
| 68 | Sullivan University Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $25,532 14% of the leader · rank #68 | $24,325 | $20,000 | $34,516 | 2,855 |
| 69 | PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Glasgow, KY · Private for-profit | $25,829 13% of the leader · rank #69 | $25,900 | $14,042 | $16,280 | 43 |
| 70 | PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Bowling Green, KY · Private for-profit | $26,577 10% of the leader · rank #70 | $25,456 | $7,917 | $19,150 | 285 |
| 71 | Medical Career & Technical College Richmond, KY · Private for-profit | $28,005 5% of the leader · rank #71 | $26,947 | $6,333 | - | 199 |
| 72 | Beckfield College-Florence Florence, KY · Private for-profit | $28,133 5% of the leader · rank #72 | $27,756 | $23,500 | $34,873 | 612 |
| 73 | Galen Health Institutes-Pikeville Pikeville, KY · Private for-profit | $28,475 4% of the leader · rank #73 | $28,147 | $24,166 | $58,951 | 122 |
| 74 | ATA College Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $28,611 4% of the leader · rank #74 | $28,379 | $21,030 | $29,724 | 337 |
| 75 | Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville Louisville, KY · Private for-profit | $29,401 4% of the leader · rank #75 | $28,716 | $9,833 | $24,238 | 219 |
| 76 | Kentucky Horseshoeing School Richmond, KY · Private for-profit | $29,405 4% of the leader · rank #76 | $26,372 | - | - | 24 |
| 77 | Midway University Midway, KY · Private nonprofit | $29,579 4% of the leader · rank #77 | $27,206 | $21,301 | $40,738 | 1,945 |
What this means for you
Use Kentucky's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.
- Hazard Community and Technical College reports the lowest average net price in Kentucky, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Hazard Community and
- See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
- Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Kentucky safety
Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.
Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.