Quad

Cost & aid

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $30,092 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $5.8K more than the national median. The 95% who received grants paid $21,958 on average; the other 5% paid the full sticker price of $35,098 in-state / $55,292 out-of-state.

+17% after inflation since 2013–14Over time
Full price, in-state
$35,098 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Published data end at $110K
use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes

Cost by family income

Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).

Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.

$0$10K$20K$30K$0$100K$200K$300K$400K+Full price $35KPublished data end at $110KUse the college's calculator
  • Published federal figures
View as a table
Price per year by family income
Family incomePrice per year
$0–30K$12K a year
$30–48K$12K a year
$48–75K$16K a year
$75–110K$21K a year
$150KPublished data end at $110K
$200KPublished data end at $110K
$250KPublished data end at $110K
$300KPublished data end at $110K
$350KPublished data end at $110K
$400K and abovePublished data end at $110K
$150K a year

At $150K: Published data end at $110K

Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.

Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.

What can change this

  • Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
Average total cost per year, all first-years (est.)

$30,092

Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24

Full price, averaged across in-state & out-of-state$42,368
− Grants, averaged over every first-year−$12,276

95% got grants averaging $12,898; 5% got none.

= Average total cost$30,092
Tuition & fees$20.5KRoom & board$15.2KBooks & supplies$1.2KOther expenses$5.4K
Compared to all colleges$30,092
National median: $24,284Above typical

Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.

Who pays what

Received grants · 95%$21,958 averagenet price (in-state students)
No grants · 5%$35.1K / $55.3Kfull price, in-state / out-of-state

Share of first-year students, 2023–24.

Sticker price by residency

RateTuition & feesFirst-years
In-state$13,212$35,09864%
Out-of-state$33,406$55,29236%

Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($21,886) to tuition and fees.

Next year (2026–27), reported by University of Kentucky

$31,225 in-state · $52,894 out-of-state before aid

Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 10% in-state, up 9% out-of-state from 2023–24.

Show the full next-year estimate
  • Tuition, fees, food & housing$31,225
  • Books and supplies$1,200
  • Transportation$2,592
  • Other expenses$3,240
  • Total for a student living on campus$38,257
Part of a Promise program
Median debt at graduation

$22.5K

≈ $239/month for 10 years

Payback estimate

2.0 yrs

of median salary to cover 4 years of net price

Undergrads with a federal loan34%
National median: 45%Below typical

About 1 in 3 undergrads borrows federally.

Median federal debt, by background

Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.

Pell Grant recipients$18,500
No Pell Grant$14,582
Family income under $30K$17,007
$30K–$75K$17,471
Over $75K$15,946

Three years into repayment

Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.

  • Paid in full14%
  • Paying it down22%
  • Payments paused34%
  • Not paying it down20%
  • Behind or in default8%
  • Forgiven or discharged0%

Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.

Who actually gets aid

29%of full price

Aid generosity

Moderate

Grants cover 29% of the $42,368 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 23% of colleges.

$12,276 in grants per first-year ÷ $42,368 full price.

Compared to every college29%
29%
← Limitedmore generous than 23% of 1,514Very generous →

Who gets grants and scholarships

Full-time first-year students (6,360), 2023–24

Received grants or scholarships, avg $12,898 No grants

Where the aid comes from

From the college87% · avg $9.9K
Pell Grants25% · avg $5.6K
State or local grants57%
Student loans41% · avg $10.7K

Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.

Aid by family income

By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.

Aid by family income isn't reported.

Applying for aid

For fall 2026 entrants.

To apply for aid: the FAFSA.
Need is calculated with the federal formula.

Deadline: none · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from April 1

Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.

What the college's own scholarships consider

Academics✓✓
Alumni connection✓✓
Art✓not marked
Athletics✓✓
Job skills✓not marked
ROTC✓not marked
Leadership✓✓
Music or drama✓✓
State or district residency✓✓

A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.

International students

International applicants file: the college's own form.

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)