University of Kentucky vs. University of Louisville

A side-by-side comparison of Kentucky and Louisville — acceptance rates (93.5% vs. 79.4%), SAT scores (1058–1270 vs. 1010–1230), tuition, financial aid, and majors, drawn from each school's official Common Data Set.

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KentuckyLexington, KY

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Kentucky CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Kentucky CDS (Fall 2025).
93.5%acceptance rate
Applied
33,387
Admitted
31,222
Enrolled
6,960

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state95.3%
8,658 admitted of 9,087 applicants
Out-of-state93.0%
21,588 admitted of 23,214 applicants
International89.9%
976 admitted of 1,086 applicants

Early action

Kentucky offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Kentucky is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1058
50th Percentile
1165
75th Percentile
1270

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
21
50th Percentile
24
75th Percentile
28

Class rank

Where Kentucky's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class28.1%
Top quarter of class55.5%
Top half of class84.4%

Based on the 26.4% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Kentucky does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Kentucky weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Kentucky's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$38,257
In-State
$59,926
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$14,177$35,846
Room & Board
$17,048$17,048
Other Expenses
$7,032$7,032
Total
$38,257$59,926

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$12k
$30–48k~$12k
$48–75k~$16k
$75–110k~$21k
$110k+~$27k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants22.5%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
28%
Avg. Package
$18,278
Avg. Need Met
57%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Health Professions
Communication & Journalism
Engineering
Education
Psychology
Biological & Life Sciences
Other
Business
26%
Health
13%
Comm
8%
Engineering
8%
Education
7%
Psychology
6%
Life Sci
5%
Other
27%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

18:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return85%
Graduate within six years72%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$66k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$23k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Kentucky’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Nursing

    339 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$82kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$25k median debt
  • Psychology

    283 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$47kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$24k median debt
  • Finance

    274 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$84kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    230 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Biology

    172 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$52kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Show all 33 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
85%
In Fraternities
17%
In Sororities
34%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Lexington, KY

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
4225J
4728F
5636M
6745A
7655M
8463J
8767J
8665A
8058S
6947O
5636N
4630D
Snow a year
15 in
Precipitation a year
50 in
Days at 90°F or above
25
Days below 32°F
90

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, LEXINGTON BLUEGRASS AP, KY US station, 5.5 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

41%
59%
Male
10,964
Female
15,515

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White76.2%
Hispanic7.1%
Other6.9%
Black6%
Asian and Pacific Islander3.6%
Native American<1%
LouisvilleLouisville, KY

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Louisville CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Louisville CDS (Fall 2024).
79.4%acceptance rate
Applied
15,668
Admitted
12,442
Enrolled
3,120

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state79.7%
6,982 admitted of 8,756 applicants
Out-of-state81.6%
5,284 admitted of 6,474 applicants
International40.2%
176 admitted of 438 applicants

Early admissions

Louisville does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Louisville is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1010
50th Percentile
1120
75th Percentile
1230

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
19
50th Percentile
23
75th Percentile
27

Class rank

Where Louisville's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class24.8%
Top quarter of class52.2%
Top half of class84.2%

Based on the 33.4% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Louisville does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Louisville weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Louisville's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$37,980
In-State
$54,326
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$13,942$30,288
Room & Board
$14,486$14,486
Other Expenses
$9,552$9,552
Total
$37,980$54,326

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$15k
$30–48k~$15k
$48–75k~$16k
$75–110k~$21k
$110k+~$25k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants30.6%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
66%
Avg. Package
$19,098
Avg. Need Met
65%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Health Professions
Engineering
Social Sciences & Public Service
Business & Marketing
Education
Psychology
Parks, Recreation & Fitness
Biological & Life Sciences
Other
Health
16%
Engineering
13%
Social Sci
13%
Business
10%
Education
8%
Psychology
8%
Rec & Sport
8%
Life Sci
7%
Other
17%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

14:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return82%
Graduate within six years61%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$68k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$21k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Louisville’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Nursing

    293 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$79kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Psychology

    205 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$51kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    196 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$53kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Criminal Justice

    131 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Biology

    130 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
Show all 30 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
64%
In Fraternities
16%
In Sororities
14%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Louisville, KY

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
4428J
4831F
5839M
7049A
7859M
8667J
8971J
8870A
8262S
7150O
5839N
4732D
Snow a year
13 in
Precipitation a year
48 in
Days at 90°F or above
43
Days below 32°F
74

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, LOUISVILLE INTL AP, KY US station, 2.7 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
7,354
Female
9,732

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White61%
Black16.1%
Hispanic9%
Other8.1%
Asian and Pacific Islander5.7%
Native American<1%

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Kentucky vs. Louisville: frequently asked questions

Louisville is more selective: it admits about 79.4% of applicants, compared with 93.5% at Kentucky. Both are competitive, and your odds depend on far more than the overall rate.

The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1058–1270 at Kentucky and 1010–1230 at Louisville on the SAT. Treat the ranges as a benchmark — a score inside or above a school's range keeps you competitive there.

Louisville has the lower published price for out-of-state students — $30,288 in tuition and fees versus $35,846 at Kentucky, a gap of about $5,558 a year before financial aid.

Kentucky graduates a higher share of its students within six years — 72% versus 61% at Louisville.

Kentucky. Its Common Data Set rates the application essay very important, against considered at Louisville, so the same draft carries more weight at Kentucky. Both still read essays as part of a full application review.

Source: University of Kentucky Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-08-20. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Kentucky. Banner photo by Daderot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).

Source: University of Louisville Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-11. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Louisville. Banner photo by Censusdata, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).