These are the best colleges in Kentucky, according to U.S. News & World Report
Several Kentucky colleges and universities have been recognized in the latest 2022 U.S. News and World Report rankings.
The overall and category rankings were released on Monday. In Kentucky, the University of Kentucky, Bellarmine University, Berea College and others improved from the previous year.
Additionally, some schools received high rankings for their innovation and social mobility as measured by the number of graduates who received Pell grants. Berea College ranked No. 2 in most innovative schools, and No. 6 as a top performer in social mobility for students. Several Kentucky schools rank among the top as best value schools, including Asbury University, Murray State University and Eastern Kentucky University.
U.S. News and World Report ranks colleges based on each school’s performance in several areas, including graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, undergraduate academic reputation and financial resources per student.
“Students and faculty continue to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether it’s through remote learning, mask-wearing or vaccine requirements,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. “As communities work through these challenges, U.S. News is committed to providing information on the academic quality of institutions across the country, so prospective students and their families can make informed decisions throughout their college search.”
Princeton University, Columbia University and Harvard University were the top national universities this year.
Here’s where Kentucky colleges and universities rank in multiple categories, compared to last year.
National Universities
127. University of Kentucky (133 in 2021)
187. University of Louisville (176)
202. Bellarmine University (206)
National Liberal Arts Colleges
30. Berea College (33 in 2021)
59. Centre College (52)
92. Transylvania University (84)
Regional Universities — South
13. Asbury University (9 in 2021)
25. Murray State (26)
48. Morehead State University (40)
52. Eastern Kentucky University (51)
65. Thomas More University (65)
84. Lindsey Wilson College (89)
98. Campbellsville University (94)
98. Midway University (89)
Public Universities - National Universities
61. University of Kentucky (62 in 2021)
96. University of Louisville (87)
Public Schools - Regional Universities
11. Murray State University (11 in 2021)
21. Morehead State University (17)
25. Eastern Kentucky University (23)
Public Schools - Regional Colleges, South
6. Kentucky State University (7 in 2021)
Regional Colleges — South
21. Kentucky Wesleyan College (18 in 2021)
31. Alice Lloyd College (26)
31. Brescia University (33)
35. Kentucky State University (36)
65. Kentucky Christian University (68)
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
34. Kentucky State University (29 in 2021)
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 4:22 PM.