2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Kentucky

[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nursing science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing science students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
University Of Kentucky earned the #1 spot for value among nursing science schools in Kentucky. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,502, while out-of-state students pay about $34,140. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,000. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $102,363. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Louisville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nursing science, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,136 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,482. Students borrow a median of $23,205 to complete the nursing science program here. Nursing Science graduates of University Of Louisville earn a median of $68,762 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,205 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
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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 · 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.