2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Kentucky
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general education schools.
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2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Northern Kentucky University the best value for a degree in general education in Kentucky. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,088 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,912. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,572 in student loans. General Education graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median of $52,565 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Morehead State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general education schools. Located in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,024 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,980. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,896 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Morehead State University generally make around $42,193. Set against $25,896 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Midway College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the rural area of Midway, Midway College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,110. Students borrow a median of $26,723 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $45,850. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
A rank of #4 makes Union College Kentucky one of the best values for general education. Located in the town of Barbourville, Union College Kentucky is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,946. General Education graduates carry a median of $27,852 in student loans. General Education graduates of Union College Kentucky earn a median of $63,402 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
