Kentucky State cuts programs, expects enrollment to drop. Here’s what to know

Kentucky State University is cutting several academic programs and tightening admissions as it shifts to a polytechnic focus under a state financial emergency law.

The changes are expected to cause undergraduate enrollment to shrink by 20% by Spring 2027, officials say.

Here are key things to know:

• Kentucky State’s Board of Regents approved a plan to end programs in political science, childhood development and several music areas as part of a polytechnic shift, with affected students to be offered teach-out plans.
• The university expects undergraduate enrollment to drop 9% this fall and 20% by Spring 2027, driven by program cuts and stricter admission rules under Senate Bill 185.
• New students must have a 2.5 GPA and at least an 18 on the ACT to be admitted, and must meet both requirements to qualify.
• The university will get stricter about missed tuition payments and have less flexible payment options.
• Under SB 185, which declared KSU in “financial exigency,” the university will move academic programs to fit within six areas of study.
• Many liberal arts programs will shift online and be taught entirely by adjunct faculty, while the university focuses on higher-revenue STEM and healthcare fields.
• The polytechnic restructuring will not change KSU’s status as Kentucky’s only public historically Black college or university, university officials said.
• KSU is facing two lawsuits aimed to stop SB 185 from taking effect, but a judge said the university is allowed to continue making academic changes, at least until a ruling is final.

The summary points above are based on the reporting of Herald-Leader journalists. The roundup was produced with the assistance of AI. Herald-Leader reporters and an editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.