Undergraduate enrollment and graduation rates are up at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities. That's according to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's latest progress report. Enrollment at Kentucky Community and Technical College System campuses increased by 6.8% from fall 2023 to fall 2024, rising from nearly 7,900 to just over 8,400 students.
Undergraduate enrollment at public universities was up nearly 4% over the same period, from over 9,500 to just over 9,900 hundred students.
The report shows efforts to improve college access for underrepresented populations are paying off. Financial aid data is not yet available for Fall 2024. However, low-income enrollment grew 7.5% at KCTCS and 7% at public universities from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023.
Officials said more students entering two- or four-year institutions are completing a degree or credential within three or six years.
However, the affordability of Kentucky’s public universities has diminished. The average amount of unmet financial need for university students increased by 9.2%
There was also an 11-point drop in FAFSA completion rates. Officials believe this is due in part to difficulties caused by the federal government’s launch of a new FAFSA system.
The full report is available here.
