10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$98,374at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · 101 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 96 · Federal debt reported for 64
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$98,374 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
16.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−39%Estimated return after 10 years
$60,703Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $15,912 housing and food allowance plus $5,944 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$22,970
$8,000Annual price−$54,970
$16,000Annual price−$86,970
$19,000Current college-wide context−$98,970
$24,000Annual price−$118,970
$32,000Annual price−$150,970
$40,000Annual price−$182,970
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Land-grant institution
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
695 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Kentucky run 10% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$18,851Average net price / year
$34,391Cost of attendance
$22,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$239/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$60,703Median earnings · year 5 after completion
71.4%Completion rate
92.9%Admission rate
1,215Average SAT score
26ACT midpoint
24,763Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about University of Kentucky
What does University of Kentucky cost?
University of Kentucky reports an average annual net price of $18,851 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do University of Kentucky graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $60,703 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do University of Kentucky graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $22,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at University of Kentucky worth the same?
No. The current release contains 101 field-and-degree records for University of Kentucky; 96 report year-4 earnings and 64 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
37,367Students enrolled at any point
26,691Undergraduate students
10,676Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
56% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,164 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
57% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$53,037Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$57,142Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$64,887Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income52%
Middle income63%
Higher income71%
Undergraduate student composition
White76%
Black6%
Hispanic7%
Asian4%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$45,496Year 1
$65,922Year 4
$60,703Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Dentistry · First Professional Degree$185,8782Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · First Professional Degree$135,7553Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Graduate/Professional Certificate$126,6244Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · First Professional Degree$119,4855Medicine · First Professional Degree$115,2416Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$114,1517Business/Commerce, General · Master's Degree$111,8688Health and Medical Administrative Services · Master's Degree$103,270Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $82,533 reported+35%vs same-degree national median$23,000federal debt2Food Science and TechnologyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $69,286 reported+33%vs same-degree national median$21,250federal debt3International BusinessUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $88,980 reported+23%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $62,966 reported+22%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Geography and CartographyGraduate/Professional Certificate · $88,628 reported+21%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Public HealthMaster's Degree · $100,253 reported+21%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in KY
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Louisville, KY
University of Louisville
- Annual net price
- $17,988
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,801
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -45%
Northern Kentucky University
- Annual net price
- $8,191
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,390
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -51%
Eastern Kentucky University
- Annual net price
- $11,040
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,636
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Western Kentucky University
- Annual net price
- $10,990
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,952
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -82%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 101 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $185,878 | Not available | Not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional Degree | $135,755 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $126,624 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | First Professional Degree | $119,485 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $115,241 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $114,151 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $111,868 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $103,270 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $100,533 | Not available | 14 |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $100,253 | Not available | 0 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $99,945 | $21,500 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $99,535 | $22,250 | 0 |
| Industrial Engineering | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $99,370 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Doctoral Degree | $99,094 | Not available | 30 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $98,003 | $25,308 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,913 | $25,000 | 2 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $92,636 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $91,461 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $90,654 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| International Business | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $88,980 | Not available | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $88,628 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $86,420 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $85,777 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Materials Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $84,796 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $84,087 | $22,375 | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $82,533 | $23,000 | 1 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $81,941 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $81,031 | $23,625 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | First Professional Degree | $80,534 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $77,663 | $23,250 | 0 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $75,222 | $22,500 | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $74,202 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $73,549 | $22,500 | 0 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $71,952 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Master's Degree | $71,905 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Bachelor's Degree | $70,942 | $23,375 | 13 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $70,776 | $24,225 | Not reported |
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $69,700 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $69,451 | $23,055 | Not reported |
| Food Science and Technology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $69,286 | $21,250 | 4 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every University of Kentucky program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.