Tuition rate for 2026-27 academic year approved by UK Board of Trustees
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 24, 2026) — A tuition increase of less than 2% for the 2026-27 academic year was approved Friday by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees. The 1.94% increase in tuition and mandatory fees for Kentucky’s public colleges and universities was authorized by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and is designed to hold down prices and increase access to higher education.
Tuition and mandatory fees for full-time resident undergraduate students will be $7,088.50 per semester, an increase of $135. Full-time nonresident undergraduate students will pay $17,923, a $341 increase.
“Holding down costs and ensuring that the education we provide is affordable and accessible is one of the most important ways we help advance this state and ensure a Kentucky that is healthier, wealthier and wiser,” UK President Eli Capilouto said.
“Over the last several years, we have significantly lowered the rate of increases for tuition and fees while also lowering student debt and increasing financial aid and scholarships that students don’t have to repay. That means more Kentuckians are able to come to UK, stay in this state, start careers and embark on lives of meaning and purpose.”
These rates include an increase in mandatory fees which the Student Government Association (SGA) solicits and reviews proposals for each year. With SGA’s Student Fee Allocation Committee endorsement, the Campus Recreation Fee was increased from $95 to $109 per semester to support the expansion and renovation of the Johnson Student Recreation Center.
Overall, UK enrollment continues to approach 40,000 students with a Fall 2025 enrollment of 38,383 students representing every county in Kentucky, 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries.
For the past six years at UK, the rolling four-year average for tuition and fee increases has been under 3%. Additionally, the percentage of UK undergraduate, in-state students graduating without debt is now more than 50%, backed by continually increasing levels of financial aid.
Find a full list of programs and tuition rates online.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.