29 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Kentucky

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Kentucky ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 2.54M citations received by 109K academic papers made by 29 universities in Kentucky was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Kentucky

Lexington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#59 in the United States

#71 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 97%

2. University of Louisville

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#138 in the United States

#161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 97%

3. Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#309 in the United States

#348 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 915
Average ACT: 18
Receiving Aid: 99%

4. Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#397 in the United States

#445 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 99%

5. Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#450 in the United States

#501 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 99%

6. Murray State University

Murray

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#473 in the United States

#524 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 100%

7. Berea College

Berea

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#646 in the United States

#708 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Average SAT: 1246
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $4,379

8. Morehead State University

Morehead

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#689 in the United States

#755 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $12,802
Enrollment: 8,618

9. Asbury Theological Seminary

Wilmore

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#726 in the United States

#792 in North America

Enrollment: 1,715
Male:Female: 60:40

10. Brescia University

Owensboro

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#745 in the United States

#811 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Net Price: $15,087
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,558

11. Bellarmine University

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#764 in the United States

#833 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1159
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,432

12. Centre College

Danville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#860 in the United States

#930 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1327
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $23,780

13. Georgetown College

Georgetown

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#874 in the United States

#944 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $14,878

14. Kentucky State University

Frankfort

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#910 in the United States

#982 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 915
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 100%

15. University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#964 in the United States

#1036 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Net Price: $11,555
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $13,109

16. Transylvania University

Lexington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1039 in the United States

#1115 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $25,634

17. Thomas More College

Crestview Hills

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1053 in the United States

#1129 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $21,314

18. Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1108 in the United States

#1186 in North America

Enrollment: 94
Male:Female: 28:72

19. Sullivan University

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1126 in the United States

#1204 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $22,766
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $8,376

20. Spalding University

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1181 in the United States

#1259 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Average SAT: 978
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $25,539

21. Frontier Nursing University

Hyden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1308 in the United States

#1387 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Enrollment: 2,548
Male:Female: 6:94

22. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Louisville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1350 in the United States

#1431 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1116
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,873

23. Asbury University

Wilmore

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1376 in the United States

#1458 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Net Price: $21,375
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,903

24. Campbellsville University

Campbellsville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1528 in the United States

#1616 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Net Price: $18,777
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $22,113

25. Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1540 in the United States

#1628 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $14,422
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $25,355

26. University of Pikeville

Pikeville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1568 in the United States

#1657 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $13,819
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $19,395

27. Midway University

Midway

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1596 in the United States

#1686 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $24,739

28. Lexington Theological Seminary

Lexington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1627 in the United States

#1717 in North America

Enrollment: 93
Male:Female: 50:50

29. Kentucky Wesleyan College

Owensboro

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1649 in the United States

#1740 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 940
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $20,867

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Tennessee	39	46
Indiana	38	39
Ohio	67	19
West Virginia	21	119
Illinois	79	12
North Carolina	50	20
Georgia	52	42
Virginia	42	37
South Carolina	32	69
Alabama	29	84
Missouri	44	40
Mississippi	15	178
Arkansas	18	146
District of Columbia	13	50
Maryland	28	10
Pennsylvania	114	8
Michigan	47	4
Delaware	4	96
Iowa	32	44
Wisconsin	36	14
New Jersey	29	22
Louisiana	27	79
New York	146	6
Florida	70	31
Kansas	22	74
Connecticut	22	9
Oklahoma	22	104
Minnesota	30	18
Massachusetts	75	1
Rhode Island	9	56
Vermont	12	122
New Hampshire	13	82
Nebraska	15	87
South Dakota	11	330
Texas	89	21
Maine	16	200
North Dakota	9	215
Colorado	24	52
New Mexico	9	100
Montana	9	166
Utah	11	45
Arizona	10	30
Idaho	7	194
Nevada	8	152
Puerto Rico	15	415
Oregon	21	97
California	146	2
Washington	39	5
Alaska	4	233
Hawaii	7	107