Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Kentucky
Key facts
- #1 Centre College, KY: $66k
- #2 Bellarmine University, KY: $62k
- #3 Galen College of Nursing-Louisville, KY: $61k
- 44 colleges ranked across Kentucky
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $43k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Centre College KY$66k
- 2Bellarmine University KY$62k
- 3Galen College of Nursing-Louisville KY$61k
- 4Thomas More University KY$59k
- 5University of Kentucky KY$59k
- 6Transylvania University KY$55k
- 7University of Louisville KY$54k
- 8Georgetown College KY$52k
- 9Northern Kentucky University KY$50k
- 10Spalding University KY$49k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Centre College leads on $66k, and #10 Spalding University is at $49k.
- Spalding University reaches #10 on a sample of 583 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- University of Kentucky is the largest market in the top ten, with 24,763 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Centre College KY
$66k
- Completion rate
- 81%
- Net price a year
- $20,781
- Private nonprofit
- 1,400 students
Based on 1,400 students enrolled.
- 2
Bellarmine University KY
$62k
- Completion rate
- 64%
- Net price a year
- $21,499
- Private nonprofit
- 2,161 students
Based on 2,161 students enrolled.
- 3
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Net price a year
- $18,540
- Private for-profit
- 4,801 students
Based on 4,801 students enrolled.
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
Thomas More University KY
$59k
- Completion rate
- 41%
- Net price a year
- $21,835
- Private nonprofit
- 1,293 students
Based on 1,293 students enrolled.
- 5
University of Kentucky KY
$59k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $18,851
- Public
- 24,763 students
Based on 24,763 students enrolled.
- 6
Transylvania University KY
$55k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $21,913
- Private nonprofit
- 1,005 students
Based on 1,005 students enrolled.
- 7
University of Louisville KY
$54k
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Net price a year
- $17,988
- Public
- 14,727 students
Based on 14,727 students enrolled.
University of Louisville: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 8
Georgetown College KY
$52k
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Net price a year
- $14,095
- Private nonprofit
- 1,097 students
Based on 1,097 students enrolled.
- 9
Northern Kentucky University KY
$50k
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Net price a year
- $8,191
- Public
- 8,246 students
Based on 8,246 students enrolled.
Northern Kentucky University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 10
Spalding University KY
$49k
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Net price a year
- $25,491
- Private nonprofit
- 583 students
Based on 583 students enrolled.
- 11
University of Pikeville KY
$48k
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Net price a year
- $20,311
- Private nonprofit
- 1,135 students
Based on 1,135 students enrolled.
- 12
Kentucky Wesleyan College KY
$47k
- Completion rate
- 47%
- Net price a year
- $17,131
- Private nonprofit
- 842 students
Based on 842 students enrolled.
Kentucky Wesleyan College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 13
Eastern Kentucky University KY
$46k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $11,040
- Public
- 12,318 students
Based on 12,318 students enrolled.
Eastern Kentucky University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 14
Brescia University KY
$46k
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Net price a year
- $8,709
- Private nonprofit
- 545 students
Based on 545 students enrolled.
- 15
University of the Cumberlands KY
$45k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $14,107
- Private nonprofit
- 6,941 students
Based on 6,941 students enrolled.
University of the Cumberlands: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 16
Murray State University KY
$45k
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Net price a year
- $9,096
- Public
- 6,688 students
Based on 6,688 students enrolled.
- 17
Midway University KY
$44k
- Completion rate
- 41%
- Net price a year
- $29,579
- Private nonprofit
- 1,262 students
Based on 1,262 students enrolled.
- 18
Western Kentucky University KY
$44k
- Completion rate
- 56%
- Net price a year
- $10,990
- Public
- 12,155 students
Based on 12,155 students enrolled.
Western Kentucky University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
Morehead State University KY
$43k
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Net price a year
- $9,793
- Public
- 4,578 students
Based on 4,578 students enrolled.
Morehead State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 20
Berea College KY
$43k
- Completion rate
- 58%
- Net price a year
- $6,106
- Private nonprofit
- 1,513 students
Based on 1,513 students enrolled.
- 21
Asbury University KY
$42k
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Net price a year
- $21,401
- Private nonprofit
- 1,420 students
Based on 1,420 students enrolled.
- 22
Union College KY
$42k
- Completion rate
- 32%
- Net price a year
- $21,311
- Private nonprofit
- 746 students
Based on 746 students enrolled.
- 23
Campbellsville University KY
$42k
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Net price a year
- $19,341
- Private nonprofit
- 2,840 students
Based on 2,840 students enrolled.
Campbellsville University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
Lindsey Wilson College KY
$41k
- Completion rate
- 44%
- Net price a year
- $15,070
- Private nonprofit
- 1,585 students
Based on 1,585 students enrolled.
- 25
Alice Lloyd College KY
$41k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $18,600
- Private nonprofit
- 558 students
Based on 558 students enrolled.
Full ranking
All 44 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in kentucky?
- Centre College leads Kentucky among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $66k ten years after enrolling, against $43k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 44 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 44 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Kentucky,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-kentucky
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-kentucky">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Kentucky (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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