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2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k

21 Ranked Colleges
5,292 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across Kentucky, there were 5,292 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,452 and $26,399 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in Kentucky

#1

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Berea College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 29 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Berea also made our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Berea is $5,296 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Berea College Education Report

#2

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Kentucky University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school handed out 271 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

NKU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,156 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Kentucky University Education Report

#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kentucky. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. UK is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 648 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UK also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UK is $11,848 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Education at University of Kentucky

#4

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Murray State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Murray State University is a public institution located in Murray, Kentucky. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 277 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Murray State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $8,839 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Murray State University

#5

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, Kentucky

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Cumberlands landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,251 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cumberlands has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cumberlands is $14,993 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at Cumberlands

#6

University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UofL is located in Louisville, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 682 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

UofL also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $13,058 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UofL.

Full UofL Education Report

#7

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. KY State is a public institution located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KY State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KY State is $6,646 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Kentucky State University

#8

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, Kentucky

With a ranking of #8, Western Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 440 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

WKU also made our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend WKU is $11,714 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Kentucky University Education Report

#9

Morehead State University

Morehead, Kentucky

Morehead State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Morehead, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school handed out 255 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Morehead State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list. The estimated yearly cost for Morehead State University is $10,029 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Morehead State University

#10

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Eastern is located in Richmond, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 418 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Eastern also took the #14 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $12,397 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Kentucky University.

Full Eastern Education Report

#11

Georgetown College

Georgetown, Kentucky

Georgetown College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown College is located in Georgetown, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 227 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $14,194 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown College.

Full Georgetown College Education Report

#12

Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, Kentucky

Thomas More University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Thomas More also made our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Thomas More is $16,733 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Thomas More Education Report

#13

Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia, Kentucky

Lindsey Wilson College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lindsey Wilson College is located in Columbia, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lindsey Wilson College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lindsey Wilson College.

Read full report on Education at Lindsey Wilson College

#14

Bellarmine University

Louisville, Kentucky

Bellarmine University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bellarmine U is located in Louisville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Bellarmine U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list. It costs about $21,398 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bellarmine University.

Read full report on Education at Bellarmine University

#15

Asbury University

Wilmore, Kentucky

Asbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Wilmore, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Asbury, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Asbury University is $22,494 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Asbury University

#16

Transylvania University

Lexington, Kentucky

Transylvania University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Transylvania also made our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $18,713 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Transylvania University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Transylvania University Education Report

#17

Spalding University

Louisville, Kentucky

With a ranking of #17, Spalding University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Spalding, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $23,656 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Spalding.

Full Spalding Education Report

#18

Union College Kentucky

Barbourville, Kentucky
#21 in overall quality

Union College Kentucky landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Barbourville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

Union College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list. It costs about $15,307 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Union College Kentucky.

Full Union College Kentucky Education Report

#19

Kentucky Christian University

Grayson, Kentucky

Kentucky Christian University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kentucky Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grayson, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kentucky Christian University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kentucky Christian University is $17,432 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at Kentucky Christian University

#20

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, Kentucky

Campbellsville University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and it awarded 143 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Campbellsville University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” list. The estimated yearly cost for Campbellsville University is $16,563 for kentucky education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at Campbellsville University

#21

Midway University

Midway, Kentucky

Midway University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Kentucky For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Midway, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Midway also took the #19 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Kentucky” ranking. It costs about $19,118 for Kentucky Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Midway University.

Full Midway University Education Report

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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