UK keeps setting enrollment records. Here’s how the school has grown
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UK projects record enrollment of 36,700 students for the 2025 school year
- First-year student numbers have risen annually, reaching 6,850 this semester
- Retention and graduation rates outpace national averages and show growth
The University of Kentucky's fall semester began on Monday, with the school once again anticipating the largest enrollment in the university’s history.
UK’s enrollment has been steadily increasing for the past several years, with the number of first-year students increasing each year, too. The university is predicting an enrollment of 36,700 for this school year and 6,850 freshmen, though official enrollment numbers won’t be released until September.
UK is the largest university in Kentucky, and had 35,952 students enrolled last fall, according to data from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. The University of Louisville is the second-largest university in the state, and had 24,123 students enrolled last fall, according to CPE data.
Here’s how UK’s enrollment has changed in recent years:
About a decade ago, enrollment at UK hovered around 30,000 students, with slight increases and decreases each year between 2014 and 2019. In 2020, UK’s enrollment saw a jump of nearly 600 students, with an overall enrollment of 31,110.
Since then, enrollment has continued to grow each year.
A jump in enrollment came last year, when the number of students grew from 33,885 in the 2023-24 school year to 35,951 in the 2024-25 school year.
Along with a growing enrollment, UK’s retention and graduation rates are the highest in the state. UK’s numbers are also well above national rates.
The retention rate, which tracks the number of students who return to UK after their first year, was nearly 87% for the previous school year. That number has increased from 81% in the 2014-15 school year. The national retention rate is around 70%, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The graduation rate, which tracks the number of students who enroll at UK and graduate within six years, was 71.2% in the 2024-25 school year, up from 60% in 2014-15. The national six-year graduation rate is around 61%.
UK President Eli Capilouto celebrated those numbers last year, saying it placed UK among the top 100 universities in the country, while also noting the significant work it takes to improve those numbers. Making significant gains in graduation and retention rates can take years to see notable changes at universities.