Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) was once again recognized for affordability and accessibility, ranking in Washington Monthly’s “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” and “2025 Best Bang for the Buck: South.”
“We’re constantly looking for opportunities to remove barriers and to increase access and increase affordability for students each and every day,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “Innovative initiatives, such as our new out-of-state tuition rate, reaffirm this commitment, and recent rankings, such as those from Washington Monthly, prove our role as Kentucky’s School of Opportunity.”
EKU ranked in the top 30% of 1,421 schools in Washington Monthly’s “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” list, and first among the state’s regional public universities. According to Washington Monthly, this list shows institutions that provide good value to both students and taxpayers, ranking schools based on their contribution to the public good in access, affordability, outcomes and service.
In the “Best Bang for the Buck: South” rankings, EKU climbed 21 spots from the previous year to No. 85 of 215 schools listed for 2025—ahead of Northern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, Morehead State University, University of Kentucky and Murray State University. In the “Best Bang for the Buck,” Washington Monthly ranks schools on “how well they help nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”
In a continued commitment to affordability in higher education, EKU recently announced a new out-of-state tuition rate of $12,000 for the 2025-26 academic year. Cutting pricing by more than 40%, EKU’s new out-of-state rate is one of the most affordable in the country for non-resident students. Additionally, EKU offers competitive scholarships, further reducing the overall cost of attendance.
Brandy Carr, a senior social work major, said, “As a nontraditional student balancing work, parenting and school, EKU’s online program gave me the flexibility I needed without compromising academic quality. Affordability was also factored into this decision.”
In addition to recent accolades from Washington Monthly, EKU was named an “Opportunity College and University” by the Carnegie Foundation for providing higher-than-expected levels of student access and post-graduation earnings. As of Fall 2024, EKU is the largest, regional public institution in Kentucky for degree-seeking student enrollment. A higher percentage of EKU graduates work in Kentucky one year after graduation than any other public university, according to the KYSTATS Multi-State Postsecondary Report.
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