Education

These are the top-ranked colleges in Kentucky, according to U.S. News and World Report

People walk along the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022.
People walk along the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Ky., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022. rhermens@herald-leader.com

Several Kentucky colleges have been recognized in the 2022-23 Best Colleges Rankings released by U.S. News and World Report Monday.

In Kentucky, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville received the highest rankings among national and public schools. Nationally, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University were ranked the top three universities.

U.S. News and World Report ranks colleges based on each school’s performance in several areas, including graduation and retention rates, undergraduate academic reputation and faculty resources. Information for the rankings comes from the previous school year. A total of 1,500 colleges were ranked by U.S. News this year.

“For nearly 40 years, the Best Colleges methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. “Guiding that evolution is U.S. News’ mission of providing useful data and information to help with one of life’s biggest decisions.”

Here’s how Kentucky schools ranked in multiple categories, compared to rankings from 2021-22.

National Universities

137. University of Kentucky (127 in 2021)

182. University of Louisville (187)

234. Bellarmine University (202)

Top Public Schools

64. University of Kentucky (61 in 2021)

91. University of Louisville (96)

Regional Universities — South

14. Asbury University (13 in 2021)

23. Murray State University (25)

41. Morehead State University (48)

56. Thomas More University (65)

76. Spalding University

80. Lindsey Wilson College (84)

83. Midway University (98)

88. Campbellsville University (98)

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

36. Kentucky State University (34 in 2021)

National Liberal Arts Colleges

26. Berea College (30 in 2021)

55. Centre College (59)

102. Transylvania University (92)

Regional Colleges — South

21. Alice Lloyd College (31 in 2021)

24. Kentucky Wesleyan College (21)

35. Brescia University (31)

44. Kentucky State University (35)

Monica Kast
Lexington Herald-Leader
Monica Kast covers higher education for the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. Previously, she covered higher education in Tennessee for the Knoxville News Sentinel. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. Support my work with a digital subscription
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