Poets&Quants Top Business Schools

University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics

#78

Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: January 24, 2024.

Contact Information

Location:
Admissions Office:
859-257-6539

Tuition & Fees In-State: $140,392*

Tuition & Fees Out-of-State: $274,016*

Average Salary: $66,022

Graduates With Jobs 90 Days After Graduation: 65%

International: 1%

Minority: 15%

First generation college students: 18%

When do students declare their majors: Junior Year

Acceptance Rate: 92%

Average SAT: 1,210

Average ACT: 25

Average GPA: 3.7

HS Class Top Ten: 55%**

*The total cost of the degree over four years for the most recent graduating class inclusive of school fees, room, board, or living expenses.

** HS Class Top Ten is the percent of the student population that graduated high school in the top ten percent of their class.

*** Please note that these statistics are provided for the business school major only whenever possible. If a school does not track these statistics separately, then the university-wide statistics are provided.

The University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics landed at No. 78 in our 2023 rankings this year – up two places from last year’s No. 80.

Gatton had a lenient acceptance rate similar to last year’s – 92% for the incoming class this year and 91.09% for the incoming class last year. Their average SAT scores have been trending upwards, from 981 in 2021, to 1175 in 2022, and finally 1210 this year for the most recent incoming class. 

A good 70.29% of the Class of 2023 secured full-time employment within three months of graduation, down just a bit from last year’s rate of 73.68% of the Class of 2022. Internship rates have been climbing upwards – with 67% of 2023 graduates landing a business-focused internship before graduating compared to 65.50% of 2022 graduates. 

Gatton College offers a quality undergraduate business education that is best characterized by its supportive faculty, strong Global Scholars program, and project-based learning.

STRONG FACULTY SUPPORT 

Gatton undergraduates have access to six majors including Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and General Business. The B-school also recently added a new Business Analytics minor to its portfolio of minors which also include: Business, Economics, and International Business. 

Gatton faculty were rated positively amongst surveyed 2018 Gatton alumni who gave the quality of teaching in Gatton courses an 8.4 average rating. 2018 alumni also rated Gatton faculty availability for informal discussions and mentoring outside of class an 8.6 average rating. 

In survey responses, alumni specifically highlighted the effectiveness of Gatton professors’ teaching and how large of a role they played in students’ development. Having quality course content or projects is one thing, but having supportive professors who challenge students to excel and grow is another. At Gatton, it seems students truly have the benefits of both impactful project material and high-caliber faculty. 

“Every economics major took a capstone course over one of five topics, and the end assignment was a 15-20 page term paper plus a presentation over a subtopic related to the course,” one 2018 alum told us. “The uniqueness was that the instructor gave us constant feedback on both the topic we were writing about and ways to make both the paper and the presentation better (accomplished by using two class sessions as checkpoints where we presented what we had to that point).” 

GLOBAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM 

One of the unique offerings at Gatton College is the school’s Global Scholars Program, a four-year honors program for high-achieving students interested in leadership and international business. 

What makes Global Scholars unique is just how much the program packs into its offering. Each Global Scholar student studies abroad for at least one semester and completes a minor in International Business. Global Scholar students are required to take cohorted classes on top of their other coursework and extracurricular activities. The program curriculum includes course topics ranging from “Leadership in the Global Marketplace” to “Intercultural Business Communication” and “International Trade.” From the program’s intensive curriculum to its study abroad component, students are given immense opportunities to truly develop a global business perspective with necessary leadership and professional skills. 

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING 

Projects are a cornerstone of the Gatton undergraduate experience. Through these projects, students are challenged to apply their knowledge to real-world situations while gaining valuable soft skills such as clear communication and effective teamwork.

With comprehensive project work, a supportive faculty, and a strong leadership program, Gatton students are given a stellar foundation to develop and meet their full potential. 

Alumni say:

“I enjoyed a variety of simulations that allowed the students to take on the role of marketer or manager, giving us complete control and creativity.”

“I participated in the Honors program that bridged business with engineering, and the capstone enhanced my knowledge by providing insight to the entire process of work – from production all the way through to the business side.”

“Capstone project for Environmental Justice economics. I studied a contaminated site in my hometown and researched the changes that occurred in the town both before and after the completion of the project. It was great to combine my passion for cleaning and caring for the environment, and being able to study the direct impacts that I watched unfold in my hometown during my childhood years.”

“Created a marketing-focused business plan for Lululemon. This included thinking of creative promotional mix ideas (advertising, promo, etc), pricing, logistics, organizational structure, and buying systems. This was unique because it made students think of the big picture and all that goes into creating a plan.”

“I was a part of the Gatton Women Business Leaders program and it was pivotal to my career, it introduced me to many female alumni that mentored me and were the networking reason for my current career. I also was a part of the Global Scholars Program that was key in developing necessary skills, as well as experience with international business and networking.”