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University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KYprivate nonprofitwww.ucumberlands.edu/
Acceptance
99%
Avg net price
$14,107
Earnings (10 yr)
$45,036
Graduation rate
50%
Admit rate has ranged 80%–99% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
University of the Cumberlands is a small, church-affiliated Kentucky institution with an almost-open admissions policy (98.8% acceptance rate) and a focus on affordability. Its academic offerings—particularly online graduate programs—are surprisingly robust for a rural school, though its graduation rates lag behind national averages. The campus vibe leans heavily Christian, with a mix of commuters and residential students who can choose from a modest but active slate of clubs and organizations.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
- Class rank
- Letters of recommendation
- Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 6,941
- In-state tuition
- $9,875
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,875
- Notable
- Top-ranked online grad programs
- Location
- Williamsburg, KY
- 4-Year Grad Rate
- 30%
- Student-Faculty Ratio
- 25:1
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $45,036
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 3.2×
- Median debt at graduation
- $14,911
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- First-year retention
- 74%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 53%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 65%
- First-generation share
- 40%
- Endowment / student
- $45,183
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Business/Commerce, General$36,104
- Criminal Justice and Corrections$33,993
- Psychology, General$29,685
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$28,598
- Human Services, General$28,055
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 0
- Per 1,000 students
- 0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 90
- Summer high
- 86°F
- Winter low
- 33°F
- Annual rain
- 54"
- Annual snow
- 7.6"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility
Research output
- Institutional h-index
- 82
- Scholarly works
- 3,256
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
- Mobility rate
- 2.3%
- Bottom → top quintile
- 19%
- From bottom quintile
- 13%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at University of the Cumberlands?
- University of the Cumberlands's acceptance rate is approximately 99% (Williamsburg, KY), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- How much does University of the Cumberlands cost?
- At University of the Cumberlands, the average net price (after aid) is about $14,107 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend University of the Cumberlands?
- University of the Cumberlands enrolls approximately 6,941 undergraduate students.
- Where is University of the Cumberlands located?
- University of the Cumberlands is located in Williamsburg, KY.
Admissions
Getting into Cumberlands isn't exactly a high-stakes affair—the school admitted 98.8% of undergraduate applicants in 2024, with other sources reporting rates between 71-83% depending on the cohort. Test scores are optional, and admitted students typically present:
- SAT range: 960–1160 (College Board) or 900–1,150 (College Raptor)
- ACT range: 16–23
- Average GPA: 3.47
The admissions process is straightforward: high school transcripts are required, while test scores are merely suggested. Notably, Cumberlands doesn't accept the Common App, sticking to its own application system.
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