University of Kentucky, UofL Rise in 2026 U.S. News Rankings

LEXINGTON, KY — The 2026 Best Colleges rankings from U.S. News & World Report have been released, highlighting Kentucky’s strongest universities and colleges across national, regional, and specialty categories.

Kentucky’s National Universities

Among national universities, which include both public and private institutions, the University of Kentucky (UK) and the University of Louisville (UofL) earned the state’s top spots.

UK ranked 143rd nationally, improving from 152nd last year.
UofL ranked 158th, up from 179th.
Bellarmine University placed 301st, dropping from 273rd.
Eastern Kentucky University ranked 329th (315th last year).
Western Kentucky University ranked 363rd (377th last year).
Northern Kentucky University placed 384th.

Public University Rankings

In the Top Public Schools category for national universities:

UK ranked 74th, up from 81st.
UofL ranked 84th, improving from 97th.
EKU ranked 178th (170th last year).
WKU ranked 196th (200th last year).
NKU ranked 209th.

Regional Universities – South

Several Kentucky universities performed well among regional universities in the South:

Murray State University ranked 14th, climbing from 20th last year.
Asbury University placed 23rd (31st last year).
Morehead State University ranked 27th (33rd last year).
Spalding University fell to 54th (41st last year).
Midway University ranked 71st (65th last year).
Campbellsville University climbed to 82nd (104th last year).
Thomas More University ranked 85th (82nd last year).
Lindsey Wilson College placed 90th (97th last year).
Union Commonwealth University (formerly Union College) ranked 96th (104th last year).

Liberal Arts Colleges

Kentucky is also home to several well-regarded national liberal arts colleges:

Berea College ranked 45th, down from 40th.
Centre College climbed to 55th (59th last year).
Transylvania University ranked 109th (108th last year).
Georgetown College ranked 180th (178th last year).

Regional Colleges – South

In the regional colleges South category:

Kentucky Wesleyan College ranked 21st (22nd last year).
Brescia University placed 30th (36th last year).
Alice Lloyd College climbed to 33rd (47th last year).
Kentucky State University ranked 36th (41st last year).
Kentucky Christian University placed 63rd (62nd last year).

HBCU Ranking

Kentucky State University continued its strong standing among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), ranking 32nd nationally — the same position as last year.

Broader Context

Nearly 1,700 colleges and universities were ranked nationwide using factors such as graduation rates, peer assessments, faculty resources, and financial aid.

Nationally, Princeton, MIT, and Harvard once again took the top three spots.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, emphasized the rankings’ role in helping families:

“For over four decades, Best Colleges has served as a trusted and data-backed resource for students and families navigating the complex college search process,” Jones said. “Over the years, Best Colleges has evolved into a comprehensive tool that reflects the changing landscape of higher education.”

Kentucky’s results show steady gains for flagship universities and strong representation for regional colleges across the South.

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