Everything you need to know about the University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky | Inspires students to dream

The University of Kentucky (UK or U of K) has a broad range of resources centered on a single campus in the Blue Grass. The university’s diverse program offerings enable students to excel in multidisciplinary studies and foster a culture of collaborative engagement across all colleges, programs, and research endeavors. The UK remains committed to its mission of educating, innovating, healing, and serving.

UK’s complex, multi-faceted mission looks different today in many ways than it did in 1865. Its dedication to its communities on campus and throughout the region is unwavering. 

The University of Kentucky | A brief overview

Founded in 1865 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky by John Bryan Bowman, the university is one of the state’s two land-grant universities (the other being Kentucky State University) and has the state’s largest enrollment, with 30,545 students as of fall 2019.

It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,900 (fall 2021), is located in a city, and covers 918 acres. UK’s academic calendar is semester-based. The University of Kentucky ranked 137 in National Universities in the Best Colleges 2022-2023 edition. It charges $12,859 for in-state tuition and fees and $32,276 for out-of-state tuition and fees.

The University of Kentucky is located in the city of Lexington, which is about 80 miles south of Cincinnati and 200 miles northeast of Nashville. Many degrees are available at the university, including approximately 120 master’s programs in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, the College of Medicine, and the College of Law. The United Kingdom also has highly regarded graduate programs in health and public affairs. Students at UK can make valuable additions to their education by visiting the James W. Stuckert Career Center, which assists them in finding internships and jobs.

Students at the University of Kentucky can get involved outside of the classroom by joining nearly 350 clubs, Greek life, or the Kentucky Kernel student newspaper. Lexington, known as the ‘horse capital of the world’ for its race tracks and stables, can also be a source of entertainment for students, who can shop, golf, tour a museum, browse the farmers’ market, or spend a day at the horse track.

Students can participate in recreational sports or try out for one of the many Kentucky Wildcats varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference.

Campus

The campus is approximately 784 acres in size. It has 23 residence halls and seven dining facilities. It is home to more than 200 student-run organizations. The Chandler Hospital, Patterson Office Tower, the Administrative Block, the Alumni Gym, and the Student Center are all located on campus. The campus has nine notable libraries 

• The Design Library
• The Education Library
• The Law Library
• The Agricultural Information Center
• The Fine Arts Library
• The Science & Engineering Library
• The Medical Center Library
• The William T Young Library
• The Special Collections Research Center.

The university provides all necessary facilities for students at the residences. They benefit from a calm learning environment. The residence halls are well-maintained by the management.

There are numerous cafes and restaurants close to the campus. It is also near department stores, ATMs, stationery stores, and pharmacies. The university is easily accessible by public transportation.

Courses

UK serves as Kentucky’s flagship institution, promoting diversity, inclusion, economic development, and human well-being. A diverse student body of 28,000, representing 117 countries, is studying in more than 100 undergraduate degree programs, more than 90 master’s programs, and more than 90 doctoral programs in 16 academic and professional colleges. All these colleges are present on one centrally located campus.

The university offers undergraduate degree and postgraduate degree programs.

The academic curriculum of the university consists of a wide variety of subjects that are categorized into colleges, namely the College of Communication & Information, College of Dentistry, the College of Design, College of Engineering, College of Business & Economics, College of Health Sciences, the College of Public Health, College of Law and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Students have a great opportunity to select courses based on their areas of interest.

Popular courses

Arts and Humanities

• Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
• Bachelor of Arts in English
• Bachelor of Arts in English (provides education abroad option)
• Bachelor of Arts in History
• Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design
• Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics

Engineering and Technology

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering

Life Sciences and Medicine

• Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
• Bachelor of Arts in Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
• Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
• Bachelor of Science in Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering

Natural Sciences

• Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry
• Bachelor of Arts in Geological Sciences
• Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economics
• Bachelor of Arts in Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (Traditional option)

Social Sciences and Management

• B.A. in Education with a Major in Early Elementary Education
• B.A. in Secondary English Education
• B.A. in Topical Studies
• B.S. in Kinesiology (Exercise Science)
• B.S. in Kinesiology (Physical Education)
• B.S. in Topical Studies

Rankings

• QS World University Rankings- 701-750
• QS WUR Ranking by Subject- 99
• Graduate Employability Ranking- 301-500
• World University Rankings – Mast- 141-150

Alumni

University of Kentucky has many successful and popular alumni

Some of these notable alumni are

• Mitch McConnell (Present Senate Majority Leader, United States)
• Thomas Hunt Morgan (Nobel Prize in Physiology) 
• Ted Strickland (Former Governor of Ohio) 
•  Paul Chellgren (CEO of Ashland Inc)
• Ashley Judd (Famous Actress)
• William Lipscomb (Nobel Prize in Chemistry)

Key takeaways

• The University of Kentucky provides a broad range of resources centered on a single campus. The university’s diverse programs help students to excel in multidisciplinary studies and develop a culture of collaborative engagement.
• The campus spans approximately 784 acres. It has 23 residence halls and seven dining facilities and 200 student-run organizations. The campus also includes The Chandler Hospital, Patterson Office Tower, the Administrative Block, the Alumni Gym, and the Student Center.
• UK provides undergraduate degree and postgraduate degree programs. The university offers courses in various subjects that are categorized into colleges, namely the College of Communication & Information, College of Dentistry, the College of Design, College of Engineering, and so on.

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FAQs

Q1. Is it difficult to get admission to the University of Kentucky?

Ans- With a 96% acceptance rate, the University of Kentucky you have a very good chance of getting selected.

Q2. What GPA do you need to get admission to the University of Kentucky?

Ans- The average GPA required to get admission to the University of Kentucky is 3.51.

Q3. What is the Presidential Scholarship offered at the University of Kentucky?

Ans- For first-year students, the University of Kentucky provides renewable academic, competitive, and selective scholarship opportunities. For students who are either Kentucky residents or non-residents, the Presidential Scholarship provides full in-state tuition.