Types of Schools

You have a lot of choices in Kentucky when it comes to choosing what kind of school to go to after you graduate, from trade schools to large universities. Which kind you choose will be based on lots of things - what you want to study, how much you can afford, whether you want to live at home or away from home, whether you want a big campus or a small one.

Basically, you have:

• Public universities. These are the largest, with enrollments of up to 26,000.
• Private colleges and universities. These are usually smaller than the public universities, with enrollments ranging from less than 100 to 5,000. Most are nonprofit, but some are for-profit.
• Two-year public colleges. These offer programs that last from six months to two years. Some of the programs prepare students to go directly into the workforce. Others are designed to prepare students to transfer to a four-year school to get a bachelor's degree.
• Trade schools. These schools are privately owned and for-profit. Many specialize in one field (computers or cosmetology), while others may offer certificates or even degrees in several fields.
• Distance education. This includes a wide range of options: courses and programs offered by correspondence, the Internet, television, interactive satellite, and CD-Rom.