Private for-profit · Community college

Sullivan University

Louisville, Kentucky · Large city

#4 for grad earnings in Kentucky
3%
Transfer rate
$25,532
Avg net price
71%
Grad / completion
$38,008
Median earnings

Sullivan University is a private for-profit associate-granting institution in Louisville, Kentucky (large city setting), enrolling 2,026 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

Private for-profitMidsize · 2,026 undergradsLarge cityCold winters

About Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. The history of Louisville spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the area's geography and proximity to the Falls of the Ohio River. Louisville is home to many annual cultural events. Perhaps most well known is the Kentucky Derby, held annually during the first Saturday of May. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
250 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Louisville Muhammad Ali (SDF) · major hub

How Sullivan University compares

Graduation rate71%

Higher than 63% · #8 of 46 in Kentucky

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,008

Higher than 60% · #4 of 40 in Kentucky

Average net price$25,532

Cheaper than 17% · #42 cheapest of 50 in Kentucky

Median debt at graduation$20,000

Lower than 6%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 67%

Undergraduate enrollment2,026

Larger than 82%

Percentiles compare Sullivan University with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Kentucky.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,439students
  • Undergraduate2,02683%
  • Graduate41317%

Undergraduates by gender

2,026undergrads
  • Women1,34266%
  • Men68434%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White47%
  • Black29%
  • Hispanic4.8%
  • Asian1.5%
  • Other or multiracial18%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,026
Graduate enrollment
413
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
56%
First-generation students
49%
Students over 25
76%
Median family income
$22,309
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$67,410

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$15,480
Room & board
$10,485
Books & supplies
$0
Total cost of attendance
$31,766
Average net price
$25,532

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated
71%
First-year retention
Transferred to another college
3%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$34,516
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$38,008
Median debt at graduation
$20,000
Students with federal loans
62%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
25%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
71%
Low-income (Pell)
28%
First-generation
31%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
508
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
25%
Housing charge (year)
$6,435
Meal plan (year)
$4,050
Application fee
Free

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (2,498 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$24,325
$30–48k
$30,628
$48–75k
$30,751
$75–110k
$31,682
$110k+
$31,735

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

28%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,666
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 28% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,666. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 317 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$38,008
Typical debt at graduation
$20,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
53%
Out-earn a HS grad
45%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$34,689
Men
$44,655

Men out-earn women by $9,966 (29%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
88°F
Winter low
27°F
Annual rain
48.1″
Annual snow
13.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Louisville Bowman Fld, KY US station (1.1 mi from campus).

What Sullivan University graduates study — and earn

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Sullivan University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Sullivan University side by side →

Colleges near Sullivan University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.