Grading Kentucky Postsecondary Education

Measuring Up 2008: The State Report Card on Higher Education, gave Kentucky the following grades (followed by rank among the states):

C in Preparation (38th)
C in Participation (23rd)
F in Affordability (45th)
B in Completion (22nd)
D+ in Benefits (41st)

To zoom in on our weakest element, the affordability grade was calculated from six indicators:

• Community colleges cost 21% of average family income (after subtracting financial aid).
• Public four-year schools cost 28% of average family income (again after financial aid).
• Private four-year schools cost 41% of average family income (after financial aid)
• The state investment in needs-based financial aid is 48% of the state's share of Pell grant funding.
• Tuition at the lowest price colleges is 31% of the poorest families' income.
• The average undergraduate borrows $4,841 per year.

Five of those six indicators have gotten worse since the 2000 report, with only the state investment in needs-based aid getting stronger.

You can download the whole report here, and compare detailed data here.