Best Entrepreneurship Schools Near Paducah, KY (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Paducah, Kentucky has 3 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs. Paducah has a population of about 26,894. Median household income is $51,243 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning entrepreneurship-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $128,930 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Entrepreneurship Schools to Paducah

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer entrepreneurship programs near Paducah, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Paducah city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Paducah. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Brescia University

Owensboro, KY 96.9 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
43.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,500
Avg net price $8,709/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 120.7 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY 176.5 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 79%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,899
Avg net price $17,988/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,136
Out‑of‑state$29,482
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Simmons College of Kentucky

Louisville, KY 176.9 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
29.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 24%
Avg net price $18,434/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,398
Out‑of‑state$16,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY 182.2 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
33.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,583
Avg net price $19,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY 221.1 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
40.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,382
Avg net price $8,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,387
Out‑of‑state$13,658
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 264.8 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,220
Avg net price $8,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Interactive College of Technology-Newport

Newport, KY 265.8 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
31.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $27,065
Avg net price $16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky entrepreneurship page.

Entrepreneurship Wages Near Paducah

Paducah is part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area (BLS area code 37140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$75,470Paducah, KY-IL$87,654
Management Analyst$96,080Paducah, KY-IL$111,591
Marketing Manager$128,930KY statewide$149,744
Market Research Analyst$60,720Paducah, KY-IL$70,523

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Paducah at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,894Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,243Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Paducah-Area Cities With Entrepreneurship Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited entrepreneurship schools are near Paducah, KY?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs near Paducah. The closest is Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO (51.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Brescia University (96.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying entrepreneurship roles near Paducah?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying entrepreneurship-related roles near Paducah are: Marketing Manager ($128,930), Management Analyst ($96,080), General and Operations Manager ($75,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Murray instead of Paducah?

Murray, KY is 36.2 miles from Paducah and has its own set of local entrepreneurship programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Paducah an affordable place to study entrepreneurship?

Paducah’s median household income of $51,243 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paducah while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Entrepreneurship Programs

Other Programs Available in Paducah

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Paducah:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Entrepreneurship Schools in Kentucky (2026)