2026 Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools in Kentucky

[Reading Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/reading-teacher-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for reading teacher education students.
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2026 Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in reading teacher education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Reading Teacher Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Murray State University the best value for a degree in reading teacher education in Kentucky. Set in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,900, while out-of-state students pay about $19,836. Students borrow a median of $23,420 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Murray State University earn a median of $47,734 early in their careers. Set against $23,420 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Students looking for strong value in reading teacher education will find it at Western Kentucky University, which ranked #2. 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, with out-of-state students paying around $27,000. Students borrow a median of $30,375 to complete the reading teacher education program here. Reading Teacher Education graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of $39,727 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in reading teacher education will find it at University Of The Cumberlands, which ranked #3. Set in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,875. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $22,868. Soon after graduation, reading teacher education degree recipients from University Of The Cumberlands generally make around $45,541. That is a strong return on a $22,868 median debt. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Georgetown College one of the best values for reading teacher education. Georgetown College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Georgetown. Students from in state pay about $42,840 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $26,938. Soon after graduation, reading teacher education degree recipients from Georgetown College generally make around $42,223. Set against $26,938 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Louisville earned it the #5 place for reading teacher education. University Of Louisville is a very large public school located in the city of Louisville. Students from in state pay about $13,136 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,482. Typical student debt for reading teacher education graduates is $22,250. Reading Teacher Education graduates of University Of Louisville earn a median of $56,181 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,250 median debt. University Of Louisville admits about 79% of applicants.
More Reading Teacher Education Rankings
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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 · 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.