Best Community Colleges in Kentucky by Salary Potential

Get the most out of an associate degree. Learn more about Kentucky’s best two-year colleges with the highest-paid graduates and alumni.

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RankSchool NameSchool SectorEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:University of LouisvilleSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$46,500Mid-Career Pay:$69,700% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:20%
Rank:2School Name:Northern Kentucky UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,100Mid-Career Pay:$69,300% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:12%
Rank:3School Name:Kentucky State UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$47,800Mid-Career Pay:$69,100% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:4School Name:Midway UniversitySchool Sector:Private not-for-profitEarly Career Pay:$47,300Mid-Career Pay:$67,600% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:5School Name:University of PikevilleSchool Sector:Private not-for-profitEarly Career Pay:$44,700Mid-Career Pay:$65,300% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:6School Name:Western Kentucky UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$43,200Mid-Career Pay:$63,400% High Meaning:71%% STEM Degrees:10%
Rank:7School Name:Eastern Kentucky UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$44,200Mid-Career Pay:$63,000% High Meaning:71%% STEM Degrees:5%
Rank:8School Name:Gateway Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$42,900Mid-Career Pay:$62,600% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:9School Name:Henderson Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$42,200Mid-Career Pay:$62,000% High Meaning:74%% STEM Degrees:20%
Rank:10School Name:Murray State UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$39,800Mid-Career Pay:$61,400% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:11School Name:Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$42,700Mid-Career Pay:$60,400% High Meaning:61%% STEM Degrees:19%
Rank:12School Name:Morehead State UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$41,800Mid-Career Pay:$59,600% High Meaning:76%% STEM Degrees:8%
Rank:13School Name:Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$40,200Mid-Career Pay:$59,500% High Meaning:59%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:14School Name:Madisonville Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$41,600Mid-Career Pay:$59,000% High Meaning:63%% STEM Degrees:15%
Rank:15School Name:Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$40,900Mid-Career Pay:$58,800% High Meaning:68%% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:16School Name:Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$39,300Mid-Career Pay:$58,500% High Meaning:81%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:17School Name:West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$41,500Mid-Career Pay:$58,400% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:18School Name:Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$39,600Mid-Career Pay:$58,100% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:9%
Rank:19School Name:Southeast Kentucky CommunitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$39,100Mid-Career Pay:$58,000% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:19School Name:Hopkinsville Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$38,800Mid-Career Pay:$58,000% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:5%
Rank:21School Name:Somerset Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$39,500Mid-Career Pay:$57,500% High Meaning:68%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:22School Name:Ashland Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$38,500Mid-Career Pay:$57,200% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:23School Name:Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$38,200Mid-Career Pay:$57,100% High Meaning:56%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:24School Name:Hazard Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$37,800Mid-Career Pay:$56,400% High Meaning:74%% STEM Degrees:12%
Rank:25School Name:Maysville Community and Technical CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$34,600Mid-Career Pay:$52,000% High Meaning:67%% STEM Degrees:7%

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College Student

If you are choosing amongst the 42 two-year colleges in Kentucky, knowing the colleges with the highest-paid graduates can help to make the decision about which school to attend easier. Payscale has data on a number of these associate-degree-granting colleges, providing ample information to help you make an informed decision about the best career colleges in Kentucky.

Western Kentucky University is a relatively large school, with just about 17,500 undergraduates to Sullivan College’s roughly 4,000. Both Western and Sullivan have a slightly higher enrollment of female students than males.

Kentucky’s top employment industries include car manufacturing, biotechnology, sports and recreation and transportation/logistics.