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Union Commonwealth University

Union Commonwealth University is based in the town of Barbourville, KY — a private campus in a small-town setting. The school reports a United Methodist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$12,372

family income
under $30k

$15,306

$30–48k

$25,500

$48–75k

$44,375

$75–110k

$44,375

over $110k

Average net price

$21,3112023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Union Commonwealth University rose from $18,281 (2008) to $21,311 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$18,281
2009	$16,649
2010	$14,955
2011	$16,660
2012	$17,564
2013	$19,088
2014	$20,660
2015	$22,496
2016	$23,504
2017	$21,586
2018	$21,771
2019	$20,558
2020	$21,504
2021	$24,770
2022	$23,906
2023	$21,311

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$44,3222024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Union Commonwealth University rose from $26,465 (2009) to $44,322 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$26,465
2010	$28,764
2011	$28,429
2012	$30,333
2013	$31,769
2014	$31,709
2015	$34,038
2016	$35,838
2017	$36,737
2018	$37,499
2019	$38,488
2020	$39,439
2021	$39,252
2022	$41,450
2023	$44,375
2024	$44,322

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$11,120
2001	$11,770
2002	$12,430
2003	$13,200
2004	$13,750
2005	$14,520
2006	$14,950
2007	$16,020
2008	$16,840
2013	$22,000
2014	$22,980
2015	$24,000
2016	$25,135
2017	$26,080
2018	$27,140
2019	$27,950
2020	$28,000
2021	$28,889
2022	$30,946
2023	$30,946

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $30,946 before grants and other attendance costs. At Union Commonwealth University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 746 — Union Commonwealth University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

32.1% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Union Commonwealth University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

32.1%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Union Commonwealth University has wandered from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 38.9% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 32.1%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	33.1%
1992 cohort	32%
1993 cohort	29.8%
1994 cohort	26.9%
1995 cohort	31.3%
1996 cohort	35.7%
1997 cohort	37%
1998 cohort	29.8%
1999 cohort	33.3%
2000 cohort	29.1%
2001 cohort	35.8%
2002 cohort	32.1%
2003 cohort	26.9%
2004 cohort	30.7%
2005 cohort	32.2%
2006 cohort	35.9%
2007 cohort	34.2%
2008 cohort	32%
2009 cohort	32.1%
2010 cohort	27%
2011 cohort	33.7%
2012 cohort	26.7%
2013 cohort	38.9%
2014 cohort	27.7%
2015 cohort	37.1%
2016 cohort	33.1%
2017 cohort	36%
2018 cohort	32.1%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$11,473	$5,450
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$11,473	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$8,127	$4,376
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$11,000	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$11,385	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$11,385	$4,050
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,408	$5,000
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$14,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$16,678	$8,125
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$19,125	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$16,892	$9,250
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$18,462	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$24,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$25,000	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$25,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$25,875	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,291	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$24,250	$9,375

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$36,529

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$40,549

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$42,002

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Union Commonwealth University admitted 629 of 996 applicants in Fall 2024. The 63.2% rate describes that application pool.

63.2%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $30,946 tuition · 2023–24 746 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Union Commonwealth University received 996 applications and admitted 629 (63.2%), with 244 enrolling.

Union Commonwealth University: scores were considered but optional in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
ACT Composite	15	18	22

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

63.1%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Union Commonwealth University's admission rate fell from 74.7% to 63.1%. The rate alone cannot explain the change. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	74.7%
Fall 2002	51.2%
Fall 2003	72.9%
Fall 2004	72.4%
Fall 2005	64.5%
Fall 2006	71.8%
Fall 2007	69.2%
Fall 2008	72.4%
Fall 2009	28%
Fall 2010	24.9%
Fall 2011	73.5%
Fall 2012	76.6%
Fall 2013	74.2%
Fall 2014	75.2%
Fall 2015	69.2%
Fall 2016	67.5%
Fall 2017	63.5%
Fall 2018	56.3%
Fall 2019	54.7%
Fall 2020	57.3%
Fall 2021	56.4%
Fall 2022	53.4%
Fall 2023	55%
Fall 2024	63.1%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

920–1105Fall 2023 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	890	1050
Fall 2004	830	940
Fall 2005	770	950
Fall 2006	777	982
Fall 2007	720	960
Fall 2008	790	950
Fall 2009	853	963
Fall 2010	888	1105
Fall 2011	850	1010
Fall 2013	877	1076
Fall 2015	886	1061
Fall 2018	936	1066
Fall 2021	955	1148
Fall 2023	920	1105

IPEDS Fall 2001–2023, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

15–22Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	16	21
Fall 2002	17	23
Fall 2003	16	20
Fall 2004	16	21
Fall 2005	17	21
Fall 2006	17	20
Fall 2007	17	21
Fall 2008	17	21
Fall 2009	17	21
Fall 2010	18	22
Fall 2011	19	23
Fall 2012	18	23
Fall 2013	19	24
Fall 2014	18	23
Fall 2015	18	23
Fall 2016	18	22
Fall 2017	17	23
Fall 2018	18	23
Fall 2019	17	22
Fall 2020	17	22
Fall 2021	16	22
Fall 2022	15	21
Fall 2023	14	21
Fall 2024	15	22

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

746Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Union Commonwealth University rose from 585 (Fall 2002) to 746 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	585
Fall 2003	583
Fall 2004	529
Fall 2005	570
Fall 2006	647
Fall 2007	642
Fall 2008	766
Fall 2009	811
Fall 2010	833
Fall 2011	814
Fall 2012	772
Fall 2013	808
Fall 2014	833
Fall 2015	794
Fall 2016	912
Fall 2017	984
Fall 2018	1,003
Fall 2019	930
Fall 2020	927
Fall 2021	776
Fall 2022	711
Fall 2023	736
Fall 2024	746

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

64%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Union Commonwealth University rose from 56% (Fall 2002) to 64% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	56%
Fall 2003 cohort	49%
Fall 2004 cohort	56%
Fall 2005 cohort	62%
Fall 2006 cohort	50%
Fall 2007 cohort	66%
Fall 2008 cohort	55%
Fall 2009 cohort	59%
Fall 2010 cohort	56%
Fall 2011 cohort	53%
Fall 2012 cohort	56%
Fall 2013 cohort	62%
Fall 2014 cohort	56%
Fall 2015 cohort	65%
Fall 2016 cohort	58%
Fall 2017 cohort	64%
Fall 2018 cohort	63%
Fall 2019 cohort	62%
Fall 2020 cohort	60%
Fall 2021 cohort	59%
Fall 2022 cohort	58%
Fall 2023 cohort	64%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Union Commonwealth University

52.7% of Union Commonwealth University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Union Commonwealth University as a primarily residential campus of 746 undergraduates — and 63.8% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Incoming students who submitted scores typically landed between 15 and 22 on the ACT composite. Put your own practice estimate on Union Commonwealth University's range with the ACT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Union Commonwealth University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Union Commonwealth University63.2%

Kentucky median79.6%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Union Commonwealth University$30,946

Kentucky median$26,625

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Union Commonwealth University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Union Commonwealth University$42,002

Kentucky median$45,036

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Union Commonwealth University, Kentucky and national reference values
Metric & basis	Union Commonwealth University	Kentucky median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	63.2%	79.6%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$30,946	$26,625	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$42,002	$45,036	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Union Commonwealth University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Union Commonwealth University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 3 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$87,221
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$51,079
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$41,475

These 3 fields listed for Union Commonwealth University measure earnings after completion. The $42,002 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 27 additional Union Commonwealth University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Union Commonwealth University report?

The middle 50% of Union Commonwealth University's enrolled Fall 2024 submitters reported ACT composites of 15–22; this dataset does not provide a GPA requirement.

What is Union Commonwealth University's acceptance rate?

63.2% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 629 admitted from 996 applicants.

How much does Union Commonwealth University cost?

At Union Commonwealth University, tuition is $30,946. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Union Commonwealth University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $42,002. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University — 67.6% admitted
Morehead State University — 77.2% admitted
University of Louisville — 79.4% admitted
Kentucky Christian University — 60.9% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.