Time to Degree, Continued
| INSTITUTION | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 Baseline | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky University | |||||||
| Overall | 4.52 | 4.47 | 4.36 | 4.36 | 4.24 | 4.24 | 4.20 |
| URM | 4.55 | 4.41 | 4.43 | 4.42 | 4.36 | 4.28 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 4.67 | 4.63 | 4.38 | 4.44 | 4.34 | 4.41 | |
| University of Kentucky | |||||||
| Overall | 4.19 | 4.15 | 4.14 | 4.13 | 4.08 | 4.06 | 4.10 |
| URM | 4.28 | 4.26 | 4.23 | 4.21 | 4.17 | 4.09 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 4.26 | 4.28 | 4.21 | 4.18 | 5.25 | 5.40 | |
| University of Louisville | |||||||
| Overall | 4.38 | 4.32 | 4.30 | 4.30 | 4.24 | 4.21 | 4.20 |
| URM | 4.48 | 4.39 | 4.39 | 4.32 | 4.25 | 4.27 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 4.45 | 4.42 | 4.37 | 4.35 | 4.45 | 4.36 | |
| Western Kentucky University | |||||||
| Overall | 4.34 | 4.22 | 4.18 | 4.14 | 4.08 | 4.06 | 4.10 |
| URM | 4.59 | 4.47 | 4.39 | 4.40 | 4.38 | 4.30 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 4.49 | 4.40 | 4.29 | 4.30 | 4.19 | 4.10 | |
| KCTCS | |||||||
| Overall | 3.24 | 3.18 | 2.99 | 2.93 | 2.92 | 2.94 | 2.70 |
| URM | 3.43 | 3.40 | 3.14 | 3.13 | 3.14 | 3.14 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 3.28 | 3.25 | 3.03 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 3.10 | |
| Statewide (Public Universities) | |||||||
| Overall | 4.32 | 4.26 | 4.22 | 4.19 | 4.12 | 4.12 | 4.10 |
| URM | 4.46 | 4.40 | 4.36 | 4.32 | 4.28 | 4.23 | No Goal |
| Low-Income | 4.45 | 4.42 | 4.32 | 4.28 | 4.29 | 4.27 | |
Source: Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS)
■ Campuses are making strides to improve college affordability. Average unmet financial need decreased 3.4% for public university undergraduates in 2022-23, from $9,691 the previous year to $9,359. Encouragingly, unmet need for URM students fell 23.7% over the same period, from $12,390 to $9,458. Low-income students at public universities also saw their average out-of-pocket costs decline by 3.7%.
■ At KCTCS, average unmet financial need decreased more modestly (by 0.6%). While unmet need for URM KCTCS students fell by 1.9%, average unmet need for students with low incomes rose slightly (by 0.9%).
■ Finishing college in less time is an often overlooked affordability strategy. Undergraduates at public universities, on average, take 4.12 years to complete a degree, the same as last year. Average time to degree for KCTCS students inched up, from 2.92 years in 2021-22 to 2.94 years in 2022-23.