University of Louisville

Public · Moderately Selective · KY

Photo: S. Harrison, University of Louisville (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationKY · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads14,727

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate43.7%

6-yr grad rate61.2%

Drop-out rate18.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$29k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity39%

Gender diversity56.5%

International1.8%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Louisville is an urban research university anchored by a downtown health sciences campus separate from its main Belknap campus, giving it a more clinical, professional character than a typical residential flagship. It's the largest university in Kentucky's largest city, and Cardinals athletics, especially a long and storied basketball tradition, are deeply tied to city identity and campus life alike.

Academics

Health sciences are a major strength given the university's direct connection to its downtown medical campus, home to the region's major academic hospital and dental school, and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering is well known for requiring a co-op experience, one of the oldest such programs in the country, meaning most engineering students graduate with substantial paid work experience already on their resume. The Brandeis School of Law and a solid business program round out the university's professional offerings, and the academic culture overall leans applied rather than purely theoretical.

Campus & student life

Louisville is Kentucky's largest city, and the university gives students a genuine urban residential experience rather than a college-town one, with the Belknap campus close to downtown's cultural institutions, restaurants, and the arena where Cardinals basketball plays. Basketball season in particular dominates the social calendar and is central to how students and the broader city experience the university, alongside a growing football program.

Getting in

Admission emphasizes fit with Louisville's professional and health-sciences strengths, and the required Speed School co-op program is a notable draw for engineering applicants specifically seeking built-in work experience before graduation. The university's urban setting and health-campus resources also appeal directly to pre-health applicants.

After graduation

Health sciences graduates benefit from direct ties to the university's own medical campus and Louisville's broader hospital network, and Speed School engineering graduates typically enter the workforce with an unusual amount of real professional experience already completed via co-op, often with the same employer that hosted them.

Worth knowing

The Speed School's co-op requirement means engineering students should expect their timeline to work extended, paid, real-world placements into their degree rather than following a traditional four-year sequence alone. The split between the Belknap and downtown health sciences campuses is also worth knowing, since health-professions students spend much of their time on a campus physically separate from the main undergraduate one.

louisville.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate79.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1040–1270 · ACT 19–27

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying