Best ROI Colleges in Kentucky
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard · community | 10.1× | $2,955 | 43.2% | $29,868 | — |
| 2 | Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green · community | 9.7× | $3,537 | 43.2% | $34,242 | — |
| 3 | Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg · community | 8.5× | $3,873 | 30.3% | $32,954 | — |
| 4 | Henderson Community College Henderson · community | 8.4× | $4,232 | 32.6% | $35,714 | — |
| 5 | Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland · community | 7.9× | $3,731 | 38.4% | $29,482 | — |
| 6 | Berea College Berea · private | 7.1× | $6,106 | 65.2% | $43,150 | 19.3% |
| 7 | Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown · community | 7.0× | $5,143 | 36.0% | $36,143 | — |
| 8 | Somerset Community College Somerset · community | 7.0× | $4,398 | 34.8% | $30,787 | — |
| 9 | Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville · community | 7.0× | $4,605 | 43.4% | $32,194 | — |
| 10 | Madisonville Community College Madisonville · community | 6.6× | $5,406 | 49.1% | $35,733 | — |
| 11 | West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah · community | 6.5× | $5,353 | 50.8% | $34,891 | — |
| 12 | Gateway Community and Technical College Florence · community | 6.3× | $5,725 | 43.1% | $36,147 | — |
| 13 | Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville · community | 6.2× | $5,875 | 30.2% | $36,323 | — |
| 14 | Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro · community | 6.2× | $5,800 | 43.8% | $35,798 | — |
| 15 | Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights · public | 6.1× | $8,191 | 51.3% | $50,220 | 67.7% |
| 16 | Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland · community | 6.0× | $5,717 | 46.8% | $34,504 | — |
| 17 | Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville · community | 6.0× | $6,376 | 27.6% | $38,171 | — |
| 18 | Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington · community | 5.9× | $6,113 | 31.9% | $36,343 | — |
| 19 | Brescia University Owensboro · private | 5.2× | $8,709 | 42.9% | $45,500 | 35.2% |
| 20 | Murray State University Murray · public | 4.9× | $9,096 | 60.8% | $44,737 | 85.7% |
| 21 | Kentucky State University Frankfort · public | 4.5× | $8,040 | 44.0% | $36,382 | 96.1% |
| 22 | Morehead State University Morehead · public | 4.4× | $9,793 | 51.2% | $43,197 | 77.2% |
| 23 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond · public | 4.1× | $11,040 | 51.2% | $45,795 | 77.6% |
| 24 | Western Kentucky University Bowling Green · public | 4.0× | $10,990 | 53.6% | $43,889 | 93.9% |
| 25 | Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Pineville · community | 3.8× | $10,949 | 31.6% | $41,623 | — |
Compare any two: Hazard Community and Technical College vs Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College →
Go deeper on any school
Personalized match scores, the 2026 loan-earnings test, real net price by your income, and 20+ data points per school.
Get Full Access — $249/studentBest ROI Colleges in Other States
More Kentucky College Rankings
Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.