2025 Kentucky Colleges Graduation Rate Comparison
For the academic year 2023-2024, the average graduation rate at Kentucky colleges is 54.3%. The graduation rate is calculated by number of completers by dividing number of candidates. The completers have completed their degree/certificate within 150% of normal time, for example within 6 years for 4-years BS degree program. The average transfer-out rate is 13.3% and the average retention rate is 69.2% (full-time students).
Kentucky College Graduation, Transfer-out, Retention Rate Statistics
The next list shows the colleges with the highest and lowest graduation rate and more relative statistics. For that, we include only 4-year colleges and having more than 500 enrolled students.
- Centre College has the highest graduation rate of 81% and Simmons College of Kentucky has the lowest graduation rate of 14% and .
- Thomas More University has the highest transfer-out rate of 35% and University of Pikeville has the lowest transfer-out rate of 2% and .
- Centre College has the highest retention rate of 88% and Kentucky Wesleyan College has the lowest retention rate of 53% and .
Graduation Rate Comparison Between Kentucky Colleges
The following table lists Kentucky colleges with graduation, transfer-out, and retention rate. The graduation rate is based on the number of completers who completed their program within 150% normal time (i.e. within 6 years for 4 years B.S. degrees).
You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using the buttons below.
| College Name | Graduation Rate | Transfer-out Rate | Retention Rate (full-time) | Retention Rate (part-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 39% | 13% | 57% | - |
| Asbury University Wilmore, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 65% | 19% | 83% | 50 |
| Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland, KY Public, 2-4 years | 51% | 7% | 65% | 56 |
| Barrett and Company School of Hair Design Nicholasville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 14% | - | 100% | - |
| Bellarmine University Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 64% | 22% | 75% | - |
| Berea College Berea, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 58% | 24% | 79% | - |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Bowling Green, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 64% | - | 83% | 67 |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green, KY Public, 2-4 years | 58% | 7% | 73% | 53 |
| Brescia University Owensboro, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 54% | - | 67% | - |
| Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 42% | - | 64% | 22 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington, KY Public, 2-4 years | 43% | 13% | 67% | 48 |
| Centre College Danville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 81% | - | 88% | 100 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College Pineville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 38% | 15% | 88% | - |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington Lexington, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 79% | - | 65% | 45 |
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 61% | - | 80% | 32 |
| University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | 21% | 74% | 32 |
| Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 50% | - | 77% | 30 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown, KY Public, 2-4 years | 59% | 9% | 76% | 46 |
| Georgetown College Georgetown, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 49% | - | 69% | - |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Glasgow, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 67% | - | 71% | - |
| Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard, KY Public, 2-4 years | 48% | 10% | 67% | 57 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville Louisville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 73% | - | 89% | 50 |
| Henderson Community College Henderson, KY Public, 2-4 years | 35% | 18% | 68% | 57 |
| Hopkinsville Community College Hopkinsville, KY Public, 2-4 years | 45% | 10% | 66% | 52 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY Public, 2-4 years | 35% | 15% | 60% | 53 |
| Summit Salon Academy-Lexington Lexington, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 55% | - | 90% | - |
| American National University-Louisville Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | 18% | - | - |
| Kentucky Mountain Bible College Jackson, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 64% | 7% | 70% | - |
| Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 5% | 64% | 7 |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 47% | 30% | 53% | - |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 71% | - | 87% | 39 |
| Kentucky Christian University Grayson, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 37% | - | 86% | 20 |
| Lindsey Wilson University Columbia, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 44% | - | 63% | 40 |
| University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 61% | - | 81% | 53 |
| Madisonville Community College Madisonville, KY Public, 2-4 years | 49% | 11% | 66% | 59 |
| Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville, KY Public, 2-4 years | 56% | 5% | 70% | 51 |
| Midway University Midway, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 41% | 24% | 68% | 67 |
| Morehead State University Morehead, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 52% | 4% | 65% | 25 |
| Murray State University Murray, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 61% | - | 76% | 17 |
| Gateway Community and Technical College Florence, KY Public, 2-4 years | 59% | 12% | 70% | 65 |
| Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 52% | - | 76% | 49 |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY Public, 2-4 years | 50% | 9% | 71% | 53 |
| University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 42% | 2% | 69% | - |
| Big Sandy Community and Technical College Prestonsburg, KY Public, 2-4 years | 38% | 16% | 61% | 41 |
| Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Louisville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 57% | - | 71% | 38 |
| Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 51% | - | 69% | 70 |
| Empire Beauty School-Dixie Louisville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 52% | - | 53% | - |
| Empire Beauty School-Florence Florence, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 75% | - | 74% | - |
| Somerset Community College Somerset, KY Public, 2-4 years | 43% | 10% | 66% | 53 |
| Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland, KY Public, 2-4 years | 47% | 8% | 68% | 37 |
| The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 40% | - | 79% | 77 |
| Spalding University Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 52% | 31% | 64% | - |
| Sullivan University Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 71% | 3% | - | - |
| Thomas More University Crestview Hills, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 40% | 35% | 67% | - |
| Transylvania University Lexington, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 71% | - | 87% | 100 |
| Union Commonwealth University Barbourville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 32% | 29% | 64% | - |
| Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY Public, 4 years four-years | 56% | 2% | 78% | 41 |
| Appalachian Beauty School Belfry, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 56% | - | 57% | - |
| Beckfield College-Florence Florence, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 32% | - | - | - |
| Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY Public, 2-4 years | 54% | 6% | 69% | 56 |
| Allure Beauty College Whitesburg, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 53% | - | 14% | - |
| Interactive College of Technology-Newport Newport, KY Private, 2-4 years | 30% | - | 59% | - |
| Ross College-Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, KY Private, 2-4 years | 61% | - | 55% | - |
| Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training Newport, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 27% | - | 54% | - |
| Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education Lexington, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 63% | - | 50% | - |
| ATA College Louisville, KY Private, 2-4 years | 46% | 5% | 85% | - |
| Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology Bowling Green, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 83% | - | 93% | - |
| Simmons College of Kentucky Louisville, KY Private, 4 years four-years | 14% | - | 64% | 20 |
| Ideal Beauty Academy Louisville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 95% | 5% | - | - |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Bowling Green Bowling Green, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 74% | - | 72% | - |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Erlanger Erlanger, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 60% | - | 42% | - |
| MedQuest College Louisville, KY Private, 2-4 years | 59% | - | 88% | - |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Owensboro Owensboro, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 61% | - | 38% | - |
| American College of Barbering Louisville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 62% | - | 65% | - |
| Kentucky Horseshoeing School Richmond, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 83% | - | 100% | - |
| Regina Webb Academy Bowling Green, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 100% | - | 50% | - |
| Medical Career & Technical College Richmond, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 56% | - | 88% | - |
| Galen College of Nursing-ARH Hazard, KY Private, 2-4 years | 63% | - | 60% | 34 |
| South Eastern Beauty Academy Paintsville, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 41% | - | 57% | - |
| Edge Academy of Beauty Manchester, KY Private, Less than 2 years | 100% | - | 67% | - |
| Average | 54% | 13% | 69% | 48 |
Most Compared Kentucky Colleges
The following Kentucky college pairs are frequently compared by users. You can compare the schools by their most important academic factors such as acceptance rate and tuition.