Eastern Kentucky University is a regional, coeducational, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs, pre-professional and professional training in education and various other fields at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky, Eastern has a distinguished record of more than a century of educational service to the Commonwealth.
Welcome to Eastern Kentucky University, the School of Opportunity where everyone belongs.
We believe in putting our students first. Our world class faculty and staff create opportunities for personal growth through exceptional experiences, to ensure students realize their fullest potential and achieve excellence.
The well-being and success of our students is the common bond that connects every area of campus through dedication and persistence to reach our goal.
As a Kentucky native, first-generation student, and EKU graduate, I understand the importance of the student experience at Eastern. This University placed me on a path that I could not imagine as an optimistic student from Paintsville, Kentucky.
I am confident as president I can continue expanding efforts to help others achieve their dreams. I know it can happen, and I am positive the work we do campus-wide will produce great results for our current students.
EKU’s new strategic plan, Experience Excellence, is a bold, forward thinking strategy focusing on knowledge, innovation, and transformation.
Experience Excellence honors shared governance principles, all the while being aggressive and bold as to what we aspire. Specifically, it establishes a vision, mission, values, goals, and strategic initiatives that reflect the voice of every student, faculty, and staff member, as well as other EKU stakeholders. The guiding values of this plan are inclusion and trust, as these priorities are vital to our future’s success.
EKU moved up from last year’s ranking in the National Universities and Top Public Schools lists. For the second year in a row, EKU came in first among Kentucky’s public universities for Top Performers on Social Mobility.
“Being recognized once again in the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges list is a testament to our commitment to academic excellence, student success, and the dedication of our faculty and staff,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “As the Commonwealth’s School of Opportunity, it reaffirms our role in shaping future leaders and underscores the impact we have in the lives of our students and the communities we serve.”
According to U.S. News and World Report, “Altogether, the rankings are a guide for discovering the best fit schools predicated on academics and personal considerations.” Nearly 1,500 four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions were evaluated and compared on weighted factors, such as graduation rates, graduation rate performance and peer assessment. Institutions ranked for social mobility were evaluated based on their success in “enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.”
Of EKU’s Spring 2024 graduating class, 40% were Pell recipients or Pell eligible. Furthermore, nearly 40% are first-generation college graduates. In an effort to lessen the barriers to higher education, EKU’s innovative BookSmart program provides free textbooks to all degree-seeking students.
EKU boasts the highest Kentucky employment rate one year after graduation among all the state’s public institutions. Aligning academic program offerings with state workforce needs, EKU provides quality educational opportunities in fields such as manufacturing engineering, aviation, teacher education, healthcare, business and many others.
This year, EKU announced the initiation of a feasibility study to analyze the need for a public College of Osteopathic Medicine in the Commonwealth. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, only 47.7% of Kentucky’s need for primary care health professionals is met. Nearly all of the state’s 120 counties contain facilities designated as health professional shortage areas for primary care. EKU anticipates that by offering a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, the number of shortage areas throughout the Commonwealth may be reduced.
EKU has consistently been recognized among U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges for several years. The U.S. News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings add to a growing list of national accolades for EKU, including Best Colleges in the U.S. in the WSJ College Pulse Ranking 2025, Best Bang for the Buck Colleges by Washington Monthly, and No. 2 nationally in Military Friendly® Schools and Military Friendly® Spouse Schools.
During a period of national enrollment decline, EKU experienced a 24% growth in freshman enrollment from 2020-24. Additionally, EKU welcomed the largest freshman class in the university’s history this fall with 2,985 freshmen on the first day of classes.
