Best Online Colleges in Kentucky for 2024

Get detailed info on Best Online Colleges in Kentucky and their online degrees, financial aid and scholarships, acceptance rate, tuition and fees.

Kentucky, more commonly known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is near the east south central region of the United States of America. The education system of Kentucky has a combination of both public and private, profit and not-for-profit institutions. Most of these institutions promote both campus and online education. A lot of people have grown as independent individuals via online colleges in Kentucky.

Kentucky has 50 four-year institutes, 26 two-year institutes, about 26 private-for-profit, and 26 private-not-for-profit institutes. These colleges give them vast exposure, by giving them the options of both on-campus and online education programs.

The main advantages of the online colleges in Kentucky are that they provide their applicants with the options of single programs, full degree programs or doctorate level programs which helps them keep an upper hand among most online colleges.

Opportunities for college education in Kentucky

Some of the best online colleges in Kentucky include the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University, Western Kentucky University, Union College and Asbury University. These institutes rank among the top 15 online universities in Kentucky. Most of these colleges are affordable and they also provide their students with financial aid facilities. These universities also provide the students with a vast choice for online degrees, ranging from about 30 programs to 250 programs. A few of the colleges also provide them with post-degree placement offers depending on how well they have performed during their course.

According to NCES, the total number of enrolment of students in the year 2015-2016 were 255,072. The total number of degrees awarded were 12,276 Associate's Degree, 23,221 Bachelor's Degree, 9503 Master's degree and 2,143 Doctoral Degrees. 

For the growth of the nation, it is very important for the states to grow as well, and the most prominent way for this is when there is more education available for the citizens. The advancements in technology have helped reach this out to a lot more students than it used to be by offering both offline and online education.

The following is a list of top online colleges in Kentucky in 2019

University of the Cumberlands
#

1 University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, Kentucky


Institution Type: Private Not-For-Profit

Financial Aid Percentage: 100%

Average Financial Aid: $18,698

Acceptance Rate: 71.00

Total Programs Offered (32)


9

Education Programs

4

Business Management Programs

4

Psychology Programs

15

Other Programs


The University of the Cumberland is private university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) offering Associate, Baccalaureate, Masters and Doctorate degrees in Art, Applied Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Health & Wellness, History, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Technology, etc.

The minimum grade point average required to take admission in this university is 3.33 out of 4.0 GPA. It provides a traditional classroom facility as well as an online classroom facility to students based on their convenience.

The institute offers financial aid facilities such as scholarships, grants, loans, work-study to assist the study if a candidate is having any kind of financial deficiency.

Its department of financial aid provides various scholarships and grants such as Patriot Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, Transfer Scholarship, Federal Pell Grant, Kentucky Tuition Grant, College Access Programs, etc. to the eligible students.

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)
#

2 Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)

Richmond, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 97%

Average Financial Aid: $7,529

Acceptance Rate: 86.00

Total Programs Offered (63)


19

Education Programs

9

Nursing Programs

8

Psychology Programs

27

Other Programs


Eastern Kentucky University is a regional institution situated in Richmond, Kentucky accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission (SACSCOC). It offers Graduate, Associate, Certificate and Online degree programs in the field of Accounting, Agriculture, Animal Studies, etc.

The candidate must have to fulfill any of their predefined eligibility criteria i.e. they must have scored a CGPA of 2.5 in accredited high school or a minimum score of 18 in ACT or 480 in SAT exam for admission.

The institute has a separate Military and Veteran Affairs Department to serve the military students. In the last six years, EKU has always been on the top ten percent for veterans and has also been ranked as the best military friendly university. It charges zero admission fee to undergraduate veteran and their families.

It offers grants, scholarships, work study, and federal loan facility to eligible and needy students. Students are provided free of cost application for Federal Student Aid.

University of Kentucky (UK)
#

3 University of Kentucky (UK)

Lexington, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 91%

Average Financial Aid: $9,258

Acceptance Rate: 91.00

Total Programs Offered (54)


17

Education Programs

9

Nursing Programs

8

Information Systems Programs

20

Other Programs


The University of Kentucky is a public institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, Certificate and Professional degree courses in Accounting, Agriculture, Animal Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Biology etc.

The candidate must have to fulfil some predefined eligibility criteria i.e. they must have a high school GPA between 2.0 to 2.49 on a 4.0 scale for admission.

The university has a veteran affairs office called the Veterans Resource Centre to help out and serve the veteran, military and their dependents. There exist a student association namely University of Kentucky Student Veterans Association (UKSCA) which is basically meant for veterans’ interest.

Western Kentucky University (WKU)
#

4 Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Bowling Green, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 90%

Average Financial Aid: $7,087

Acceptance Rate: 94.00

Total Programs Offered (84)


22

Education Programs

18

Business Management Programs

13

Health Science Programs

31

Other Programs


Western Kentucky University is a public institution that is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It offers various undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Education & Behavioral Science, Health & Human Services, Business, Science & Engineering, etc.

The candidate must fulfill their predefined eligibility criteria i.e. they must score a cumulative GPA of 2.0 GPA out of 4.0 and a minimum composite score of 60 in CAI test for admission.

The Office of Veterans Affairs at Western Kentucky University provides a waiver in tuition fees to veterans, military and their dependents due to their contribution towards the nation.

The financial aid department provides various financial aid like Scholarships, Student Employment, Loans, Grants, Waivers and Vocational Rehabilitation. These financial aids are offered to eligible and talented candidates to encourage and motivate in their studies. The freshmen students receive the Cherry Presidential Scholarship, Academic Merit Award, A. Martin Scholarship, Non-Resident Scholarship based on eligibility.

Murray State University
#

5 Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 97%

Average Financial Aid: $9,714

Acceptance Rate: 85.00

Total Programs Offered (42)


12

Business Management Programs

10

Education Programs

4

Nursing Programs

16

Other Programs


Murray State University is a public research institution that is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).


It offers Undergraduate Certificate and Graduate Certificate programs, Associate programs, Bachelor’s programs, Master’s and Specialist programs with 54 specialized options, and Doctoral programs with 12 specialized options.

It has world-class faculty members to assist the students. The campus has numerous facilities to cater to the needs of the students and hosts many events such as Rosalyn Churchman, Control Freak, Visual Arts Tour through Murray, Senior Recital and many more.

The opportunities available at this institution are endless as it provides an opportunity for the students to have national recognition, AIHA privileges, first-hand knowledge of available jobs locally and nationally.

The university ASSP Student Section is nationally recognized for its outstanding student performances between the year 1985 to 2015.

Midway University
#

6 Midway University

Midway, Kentucky


Institution Type: Private Not-For-Profit

Financial Aid Percentage: 100%

Average Financial Aid: $13,200

Acceptance Rate: 60.00

Total Programs Offered (27)


13

Education Programs

8

Business Management Programs

2

Nursing Programs

4

Other Programs


Midway University is a private, Liberal Arts institution that is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It offers online and on-campus evening programs to Undergraduate, Graduate, and Master’s students.

It conducts various events such as Admission event, University event Fundraiser, Social events, and many more every year. Around 90% of students receive financial aid from the Institute in the form of scholarships, loans, and grants.

The university athletics team is famous with the name as “Eagles” and promotes a variety of sports like Archery, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, etc.

The institute has been nationally recognized as one of the “Best online Christian Colleges in Kentucky” by U.S. News and World Report for offering various degrees at a reasonable cost.

Morehead State University (MSU)
#

7 Morehead State University (MSU)

Morehead, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 95%

Average Financial Aid: $8,503

Acceptance Rate: 86.00

Total Programs Offered (40)


15

Education Programs

12

Business Management Programs

4

Sociology Programs

9

Other Programs


Morehead State University is a public university in Kentucky. Its accreditation is given by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It provides Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral programs to the students.

A cumulative GPA of 3.35 is required to take admission in MSU. The department of financial assistance provides loans, scholarships, and grants to students based on their required eligibility criteria. MSU foundation awards around 600 annual students’ scholarships, valued at approximately $8 million.

MSU has more than 100 student clubs and organizations and more than 15% of the students are part of the Fraternity and Sorority. The university now offers joint admission with Ashland, Big Sandy, Bluegrass, Hazard, Maysville, and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, and provides guides for transfer students for any type of query.

University of Louisville
#

8 University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 93%

Average Financial Aid: $9,487

Acceptance Rate: 73.00

Total Programs Offered (40)


16

Education Programs

8

Business Management Programs

4

Engineering Programs

12

Other Programs


The University of Louisville is a public institution that is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate Certificate in Human Services, Nursing, Accounting, Arts, Information Technology, and many more.

The institute organizes numerous national scholar programs and provides scholarship awards ranging from $5000 to $15000 for students who meet the eligibility criteria. It participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and supports military students and their families.

The university has around 400 student organizations and clubs formed according to the interest area of the students. The university encourages the formation of new student groups, conducts leadership training, promotes new member intake and plan for multiple activities that are held on campus.

#

9 West Kentucky Community And Technical College (WKCTC)

Paducah, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 92%

Average Financial Aid: $4,454

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (54)


9

Business Management Programs

8

Health Science Programs

6

Engineering Programs

31

Other Programs


West Kentucky Community and Technical College is a prestigious public institution that is regionally certified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

It is a specialist in offering numerous academic programs and degrees such as Liberal Arts and Science, Nursing, Information Technology and many more. It provides several resources to their students like career services, counseling services, accessibility services, book store, faculties that are always ready for the query, etc.

WKCTC department of financial assistance provides scholarships, loans, and grants to the eligible students. Around 80% of students receive any form of financial aid in this college.

The institution is one of the safest colleges as its campus security is top class and the campus security guards are well trained and retired armed forces.

#

10 Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC)

Prestonsburg, Kentucky


Institution Type: Public

Financial Aid Percentage: 98%

Average Financial Aid: $5,697

Acceptance Rate: Request Info

Total Programs Offered (23)


8

Information Technology Programs

3

Human Services Programs

3

Health Science Programs

9

Other Programs


Big Sandy Community and Technical College is a public institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) offering Bachelors, Masters, Associate and Online degree courses in Arts, Science, Business, Criminal Justice, Electrical Technology, Nursing, and Welding.

To get admission in this college, the student must have a valid ACT or SAT exam score and have a minimum GPA of 2.0 out of 4.0.

The college provides veteran educational benefits to military veterans and their dependents. It has a separate office to look after the veteran students. It provides financial aid facility like grants, federal work study, loans and scholarships to eligible students based on their academic performance, financial requirements and other factors.