2026 Best Value Value Schools in Kentucky
[Value](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/communication-management-and-strategic-communications/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in Kentucky
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat Western Kentucky University this year. Set in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,652 in tuition and fees, compared with $27,000 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $35,534. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Western Kentucky University admits about 94% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in value will find it at University Of Kentucky, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for value graduates is $24,813. Soon after graduation, value degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $45,275. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
