Cumberlands locks in tuition, room & board for 2022/23 academic year

Prices for everything seem to be going up, but the cost of tuition and room and board for in-seat undergraduate students at University of the Cumberlands is not.

“We want students to know that there continues to be an affordable path to an education at Cumberlands,” said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, Cumberlands president. “With costs increasing for necessities like groceries and gas, students and their families are facing difficult choices about how and where to spend their money. By locking in tuition and room and board rates for another year, students can focus on their studies without worrying about the cost of attendance increasing. We’re blessed to have the financial stability to make this commitment.”

In 2018, the university announced that it was lowering tuition significantly, dropping yearly tuition to $9,875, instantly making it one of the most affordable private universities in Kentucky. UC later added free rental textbooks for in-seat undergraduate students, an addition to their “Cumberlands Commitment” to affordable, high-quality education that is still offered today. President Cockrum has not considered a tuition increase at Cumberlands since the reduction announcement in 2018.

Heading into the 2022-2023 academic year, every public institution in the state, including the community college network, approved a tuition increase. On average, tuition increased 1.5 percent across those nine institutions. Private universities and colleges in Kentucky also implemented tuition increases with costs rising, on average, nearly 3 percent.

Cumberlands is considered one of the most affordable, regionally accredited, private universities in the state, according to data obtained from the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU). In addition to freezing tuition rates for on-campus students, the tuition freeze also applies to online students.

In the past year, Cumberlands was awarded gold status as a Military Friendly® School, was named a College of Distinction for the fifth consecutive year, garnered national recognition for three of its online programs by U.S. News and World Report, and received multiple awards from the Kentucky Press Association for its student newspaper, The Patriot. Cumberlands has also recently begun notable new partnerships for its online graduate programs.

New programs were added in the past year as well, including a new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program, a new finance specialty within the Doctor of Business Administration degree program, a new online master’s in cyber engineering degree program, and a new data science master’s degree program.

Classes for the first bi-term of the Fall 2022 semester begin Monday, August 22nd, for in-seat and online undergraduate and graduate students. To apply or to learn more about Cumberlands, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/apply.

Two programs at University of the Cumberlands were recently included in a ranking of Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News and World Report. Both Cumberlands’ online graduate education program and online graduate psychology program were listed in the national ranking.

Both programs were ranked in the top 300 programs from across the nation, according to the report.

Statistics from 2021 included in the report list Cumberlands’ acceptance rate for its doctorate in education (Ed.D.) program is approximately 93 percent, meaning most people who apply for the program are accepted. The school offers a number of graduate education programs, including education specialist (Ed.S.), master’s in education (MAED), Master’s in Teaching (MAT), Rank I certification, and a doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D), as well as additional certifications. To apply, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/academics.

The university’s graduate-level psychology programs, included in the U.S. News ranking for 2023 Best Graduate Schools, have grown significantly over the past few years. Students have the option of earning their master’s in addiction counseling, master’s in clinical mental health counseling, or Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision.

University of the Cumberlands also offers a number of other programs at the graduate and undergraduate level. Visit www.ucumberlands.edu/academics to learn more.

Designed for prospective students looking to further their education beyond college, the Best Graduate Schools rankings by U.S. News and World Report evaluate programs in a variety of disciplines, including business, education, engineering, law, medicine, and nursing. By collecting graduate school data annually, U.S. News is able to present the most current figures on enrollment, job placement, faculty, and other critical quality indicators that help prospective students to make informed decisions. Prospective students can see how Cumberlands compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on www.USNews.com.

"The Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate schools across nearly 200 different areas, such as law, business, and nursing," said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News. "We regularly update the methodology and add new programs to keep the rankings relevant and valuable for prospective students."

The 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings in these areas are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. The data for the rankings in all six disciplines listed by U.S. News came from statistical surveys of more than 2,150 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 23,200 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2021 and early 2022.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.