Founded in 1865, the University of Kentucky is counted among the top 20 public universities of USA. The university’s main campus is located in the picturesque Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. It is home to 31,536 students, including 1,322 international students. Through 16 colleges, the University of Kentucky offers 200+ degree courses. Popular University of Kentucky courses are one-year MBA and professional MBA. International student population is around 10% for both these courses, highest than any other programs. Tuition fees for graduate courses at University of Kentucky is around 34,000 USD.

Applying for admission at the University of Kentucky is a relatively simple process. International students applying for admission are required to submit a GPA above 2.0 and a TOEFL score of 71. For admission to graduate programs at University of Kentucky, students need to submit a minimum GPA of 2.75 at undergraduate level. Much like the admission requirements, the university’s selection criteria is lenient. The University of Kentucky acceptance rate is 96%, quite constant in last few years. Students with GPA over 3.00 (80%) can avail of scholarships with award values up to 16,000 USD at University of Kentucky. Check: Student Profile at University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky is best known for its research initiatives in humanities, healthcare and technologies. It received 468 million USD in external grants and federal agency awards and applied for 157 patents in 2021. The university is also one of 29 universities to hold three premier research grants from NIH. It is also home to several research centers like Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) and the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment.

University of Kentucky Rankings

University of Kentucky ranks #127 in National Universities as per US Universities and World News. Some other rankings of the University of Kentucky are as follows:

  • #701-750 as Per QS World University Rankings 2023
  • #179 in best value schools by US News Rankings 2022
  • #79 in Best Colleges for Veterans by US News Rankings 2022
  • #501-600th as per THE World University Rankings 2022

The table below also provides a subject-wise ranking as per QS of the University of Kentucky:

Subject Areas University of Kentucky
Pharmacy and Pharmacology #99
Life Sciences and Medicine #309
Materials Sciences #351-400
Engineering - Chemical #351-400
Engineering - Mechanical #401-450
Economics and Econometrics #351-400
Computer Science and Information Systems #501-550
Business and Management Studies #501-550

University of Kentucky Programs

There are 16 academic and professional colleges at the university. Incoming students can choose from 200+ programs at University of Kentucky. The university’s Graduate School offers masters degrees in 85 fields and doctoral degrees in 55 study areas. Apart from this, the school offers advanced graduate degrees in 90 programs and graduate certificates in 52 areas. 

  • It is one of eight universities in US with colleges of agriculture, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy on a single campus.
  • University of Kentucky is one of the few universities in the USA with a medical center, research and teaching campus in one location. As a result, the University is able to offer multidisciplinary research opportunities.
  • In 2021, the university was awarded 468 million USD in external grants and contracts and 281 million USD in federal agency awards.
  • The University of Kentucky is also one of 29 universities with research designations in cancer, aging and translational science. 157 patent applications were filed by the University of Kentucky in 2021.
  • Students can also opt for global learning experiences at University of Kentucky by enrolling for a class abroad, internship, research, teaching and service.

University of Kentucky Admission Process

University of Kentucky offers two admission intakes for both graduate and undergraduate programs - Fall and Spring. The application requirements for international students are as follows

Undergraduate Admission Requirements:

  • Official transcripts in English
  • Minimum GPA over 2.00
  • English proficiency test scores:
    • Min. TOEFL IBT- 71
    • Min. IELTS- 6.0
  • ACT / SAT (M+CR) Scores (optional)

Graduate Admission Requirements: 

  • Bachelor’s degree from a fully accredited US College or foreign equivalent
  • Overall GPA of 2.75 on undergraduate work 
  • GRE/GMAT Scores (Required for few programs)
  • English Proficiency test scores:
    • TOEFL-ibT score of 79
    • TOEFL-PBT score of 550
    • TOEFL-CBT score of 213
  • Letters of recommendation (if required by the program)
  • CV/Resume
  • Statement of Purpose/Writing Sample/Portfolio (as required)

University of Kentucky Cost of Attendance

While calculating the overall cost of attendance for University of Kentucky, students should take into consideration tuition fees as well as costs of living in the USA.

Item Undergraduate costs Postgraduate costs Law
Tuition and fees 31,608 33,548 51,374
Room and Board 14,000 14,000 14,000
Books and Supplies 1,000 1,000 1,000
Travel 2,100 2,100 2,100
Personal 3,000 3,000 3,000
Total 51,708 53,648 71,474

University of Kentucky Campus

Located in the vibrant city of Lexington, the University of Kentucky has three campuses- north, south and central. University of Kentucky’s campus is home to 16 academic colleges, the iconic William T. Young Library, Bill Gatton Student Center, Jacobs Academic Science Building and Chandler Hospital.

  • There are nearly 600+ student clubs and associations at the University of Kentucky campus, catering to a wide range of interests.
  • Students can also participate in Student Government or the Black Student Union, plan concerts with the Student Activities Board, work at Campus Radio Station or simply hang out at the Gatton Student Center. 
  • Intramural sports, Club sports and outdoor adventures are also organized by the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.The Gatton Student Center and the Johnson Center also feature state of the art gyms with latest workout equipment.

University of Kentucky Accommodation

University of Kentucky offers on-campus, housing options for both all students, whether undergraduate or graduate. There are 19 residential buildings across two campuses - 5 halls on the north campus and 14 halls on the University of Kentucky central campus. The University also offers six residential buildings for graduate students. These buildings are located on or adjacent to the campus.

Each of the residential halls is well equipped with a kitchen, Wi-Fi, Laundry Services, common rooms, sports facilities, etc. The rates of on-campus accommodation at the University of Kentucky are as follows:

Residential Hall Price
Baldwin Hall $3,979
Blazer Hall $4,982 (2-Bedroom suite)
$5,211 (4-bedroom suite)
Chellgren Hall $4,982
Donovan Hall $4,318
Holmes Hall $4,982
Jewell Hall $4,982
WildCat Coal Lodge $4,922 - $4,922
Haggin Hall $4,371 - $4,982
Lewis Hall $4,982
Ball Hall $4,982
Ingels Hall $3,979
Woodland Glen III, IV, V $4,982

The table below also provides the rates for Graduate Housing:

Residential Building Rates per month
Greg Page $834
Roselle Hall $620
Shawneetown $633 - $834
University Flats $1,046.00 - $1,215.00
Maxwelton Court $1,115.00
S. Limestone $633 - $847

Check: Off-campus student housing in US

University of Kentucky Scholarships

University of Kentucky offers a wide array of financial assistance to international students on the basis of their meritorious academic performance. The students are awarded scholarships based on their GPA and SAT scores. Separate applications are required to be submitted for the scholarships.

Name of Scholarship Award Value Eligibility
International Ambassador Scholarship 3,000-16,000 2.50 GPA
Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship 5,000-12,500 3.00 - 3.50 GPA; 25/1200 SAT (M+CR) to 30 / 1360 SAT (M+CR)
William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship Varies 2.50 GPA

Overseas students at University of Kentucky can work up to 20 hours per week while enrolled in a full-time program. On-campus offer around $7 and $10 per hour. The Student Employment Center assists students with searching for jobs on-campus. 

Apart from the university-sponsored financial aid, international students can also consider other external scholarships to study in the USA.

University of Kentucky Alumni

The University of Kentucky’s alumni members receive a plethora of benefits including access to Kentucky magazine, merchandise discounts, insurance discounts, clubs and volunteer opportunities, library access and career development assistance.

Some of the notable alumni members of the University of Kentucky are:

  • Story Musgrave (Astronaut)
  • Terry Adkins (Artist and Musician)
  • Richard Briggs (Tennessee State Senator)
  • Elizabeth Hardwick (Writer)

University of Kentucky Placements

Students from Graham College of Business and Economics are offered a median yearly salary of 53,000 USD. Top recruiters include Dell Technologies, Amazon, Fischer Homes, Hershey Company, PwC, 3M, AT&T, Adecco Staffing, American Woodmark and Bisco Industries. 

Services offered by the Stuckert Career Center include the following:

  • Resume/cv and cover letter writing
  • Job search strategies and online resources
  • Interview tips
  • Networking strategy
  • Salary negotiation skills and business etiquette

In addition to this, the center also regularly organizes career fairs, networking nights, and other employment-related events. Students with an F-1/J-1 visa are eligible to avail of all career services offered by Stuckert Career Center. 

Stuckert Career Center also offers an Experiential Education Program. The program connects students with employers for career-related learning opportunities. This can include an internship, cooperative education (co-op), volunteer, service-learning, or externship experiences.

University of Kentucky’s agenda remains committed to accelerating the university’s academic excellence in all areas and gaining worldwide recognition for its outstanding academic programs, its commitment to students, its investment in pioneering research and discovery, its success in building a diverse community, and its engagement with the larger society.

FAQs

Ques: What GPA do you need to get into University of Kentucky?

Ans. Students require a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7 to get into any course in the University of Kentucky. This can help the students enroll in scholarships and can also help them to visit the career center which helps them to find jobs and internships.

Ques: Is University of Kentucky hard to get into?

Ans. No, Admissions in University of Kentucky has one of the best acceptance rates of 96%. In fact, The University was ranked #1 for the most popular universities with best acceptance rates. Students that get into University of Kentucky have an average ACT score of 22-29 and an average SAT score between 1070 and 1320.

Ques: What is the biggest ranking of University of Kentucky?

Ans. The University was Ranked #1 in Popular Universities with High Acceptance Rates and was also Ranked #1 in Top 10 Best Neurosurgery Universities

Ques. Can a Student change a Major in University of Kentucky?

Ans. Yes, Changing a major or minor is very common nowadays in most of the universities in the United States. University of Kentucky’s academic advisors work with students abilities to make sure that they find the right way in the career path by choosing the right major or minor.

Ques. What are the test scores all the international students need to submit to be admitted into the University of Kentucky?

Ans. All the International students are required to submit their TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores respectively. Certain programs have additional requirements such as the requirement of GRE and GMAT scores. SAT/ACT scores are not required as they are completely optional but are always recommended.

Ques. Does the University of Kentucky provide Scholarships to International Students?

Ans. Yes, The University of Kentucky provides over 3 Scholarship programs to its international students. They are Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship, International Ambassador Scholarship, and William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship