Public · University

University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky · Large city

79.4%
Admit rate
$17,988
Avg net price
61%
Graduation rate
$53,899
Median earnings

University of Louisville is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Louisville, Kentucky (large city setting), enrolling 14,727 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 14,727 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 79% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Atlantic Coast ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Louisville's admitted students.

Admit rate
79.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1040–1270
Avg GPA (est.)
3.31

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Louisville's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Louisville's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

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
248 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Louisville Muhammad Ali (SDF) · major hub

How University of Louisville compares

Selectivity79.4%

More selective than 46% · #13 most selective of 26 in Kentucky

SAT average1150

Higher than 45%

Graduation rate61%

Higher than 62% · #9 of 30 in Kentucky

First-year retention81%

Higher than 66%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$53,899

Higher than 50% · #7 of 29 in Kentucky

Average net price$17,988

Cheaper than 60% · #15 cheapest of 29 in Kentucky

Median debt at graduation$20,500

Lower than 72%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment14,727

Larger than 92%

Percentiles compare University of Louisville with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Kentucky.

University of Louisville campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

20,706students
  • Undergraduate14,72771%
  • Graduate5,97929%

Undergraduates by gender

14,727undergrads
  • Women8,11955%
  • Men6,60845%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White61%
  • Black16%
  • Hispanic8.9%
  • Asian5.6%
  • Other or multiracial8.3%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
14,727
Graduate enrollment
5,979
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
31%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
15%
Median family income
$47,376
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$87,039
Endowment
$1,010,310,000

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 3,117 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Kentucky75%
  • Other U.S. states25%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Louisville draws overwhelmingly from Kentucky.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
79.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1040–1270
SAT average
1150
SAT reading
530–640
SAT math
510–630
ACT composite
19–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.31

Cost

In-state tuition
$13,136
Out-of-state tuition
$29,482
Room & board
$12,576
Books & supplies
$1,270
Total cost of attendance
$32,941
Average net price
$17,988

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 (within 6 years)
61%
Graduated on time (4 years)
44%
First-year retention
81%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,571
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$53,899
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Students with federal loans
28%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
52%

About 18% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
44%
Low-income (Pell)
45%
First-generation
46%

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
3,942
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
27%
Housing charge (year)
$8,158
Meal plan (year)
$3,532
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
Varsity athletes
754 (366 men · 388 women)

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%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)229
Football120
Swimming68
Soccer61
Rowing57
Basketball42
Baseball37
Lacrosse36
Field Hockey28
Softball22
Tennis20
Golf17
Volleyball17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
74
Property offenses (2022–2024)
258

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (23,065 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.

111reported offenses a year
25 violent a year86 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
60
Burglary
24
Fondling
9.0
Aggravated assault
6.0
Rape
5.0
Robbery
4.7
Arson
2.0

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
$15,138
$30–48k
$14,601
$48–75k
$16,419
$75–110k
$20,995
$110k+
$25,186

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$72,723

$16,419/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

82%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$9,285
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 82% — get grant money from University of Louisville itself, averaging $9,285, which softens the sticker price.

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 2,706 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)
$53,899
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 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
$49,458
Men
$59,447

Men out-earn women by $9,989 (20%) 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
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
48.3″
Annual snow
13.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Louisville Intl AP, KY US station (2.7 mi from campus).

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 University of Louisville

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

Colleges near University of Louisville

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.