🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $17,988/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$13,136 — major value play)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1020, or ACT below 19 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
14,727
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$13,136
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$29,482
+$16,346 vs in-state
Admit rate
80.5%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1020–1250
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–27
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$53,899
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$46,571
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,899
4-year completion
61%
Median debt (completers)
$20,500
Cost of attendance
$32,941
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
31%

💰 True ROI

7.5× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$71,952
$17,988/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$59,812
vs sticker $131,764
10-yr earnings total
$538,990
$53,899/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.3 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University of Louisville, the average net price is $17,988/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$15,138/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,601/yr
Family income $48-75k
$16,419/yr
Family income $75-110k
$20,995/yr
Family income $110k+
$25,186/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University of Louisville's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Louisville →

Opens on University of Louisville's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Louisville

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Louisville actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
428 degrees · 25.4%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Health Professions
393 degrees · 23.4%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Engineering
369 degrees · 21.9%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Psychology
247 degrees · 14.7%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Education
245 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University of Louisville

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 28 $74,163 $104,538
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 47 $70,675 $101,068
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 72 $72,710 $97,216
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 52 $77,732 $93,968
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree $67,159 $90,799
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 105 $71,169 $89,056
Biomedical/Medical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 23 $84,311
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 45 $66,064 $80,681
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 281 $69,027 $78,902
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 11 $77,756

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Louisville

CS degrees (annual)
83
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Louisville vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to University of Louisville

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that University of Louisville doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than University of Louisville.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($19,343 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($16,018 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($15,190 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($14,760 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($14,593 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Northern Kentucky University
KY · Public
96% admit rate (vs 80% here)
University of Kentucky
KY · Public
92% admit rate (vs 80% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit University of Louisville into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →