University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY · Public · 23,189 students · Visit Website

The University of Kentucky offers hands-on training and career preparation, particularly through programs like the Walsh Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which provides an eight-week immersive experience in skilled trades with a direct pathway to Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in construction. The university also emphasizes experiential learning in healthcare through its state-of-the-art UK HealthCare Simulation Center and a new skills lab in the College of Nursing, preparing students with advanced simulation technology and real-world scenarios. Additionally, the Stuckert Career Center connects students with employers for internships and job placement, and the university focuses on developing essential workforce skills through initiatives like the Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) program.

Programs Analyzed

2

Avg Grad Earnings

$62,578/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

64/100

Tuition (In-State)

$13,212/yr
Out-of-state: $33,406/yr

All Programs at University of Kentucky

2 trade programs at University of Kentucky, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.

Program Score Earnings Debt 10yr ROI AI Risk Job Market
Industrial Engineering
Compare nationwide →
66 $76,033/yr $25,459 56.5x High Large
60 openings/yr
Food Science & Technology
Food Science and Technology
Compare nationwide →
61 $49,123/yr $20,481 36.2x Moderate Very Large
130 openings/yr

Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.

More Trade Schools in Kentucky

Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Kentucky, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.

View all trade schools in Kentucky →

Apprenticeship Pathways in Kentucky

Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Kentucky. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.

Browse all apprenticeship trades →

Trade Schools Near Lexington

Other cities in Kentucky with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Lexington.

About This Data

TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 2 trade and vocational programs at University of Kentucky using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).

The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2026.