Best General Studies Schools Near Bardstown, KY (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Bardstown, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $4,728 to $32,941 per year for indexed programs. Bardstown has a population of about 13,673. Median household income is $49,781 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is Management Analysts at a median $91,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Bardstown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Bardstown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bardstown 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 Bardstown. 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

Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 30.9 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,069
Avg net price $21,499/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY 32.2 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 133

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

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#3

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY 33.3 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Spalding University

Louisville, KY 33.7 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,438
Avg net price $25,491/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Simmons College of Kentucky

Louisville, KY 33.7 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 7

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Centre College

Danville, KY 38.8 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,240
Avg net price $20,781/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY 42.1 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 32

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

#8

Asbury University

Wilmore, KY 43.3 miles from Bardstown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $21,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Bardstown

Bardstown is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 31140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $89,140 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $95,747
Management Analysts $91,560 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $98,346
Human Resources Specialists $71,880 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $77,207
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,280 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $67,970
Writers and Authors $52,520 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $56,412
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $74,040 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $79,527
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $67,450 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $72,449
Social and Community Service Managers $73,940 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $79,420

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.

Bardstown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 13,673 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,781 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bardstown-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Bardstown, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Bardstown. The closest is Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY (24.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Spalding University (33.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Bardstown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Bardstown are: Management Analysts ($91,560), General and Operations Managers ($89,140), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($74,040). 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 Elizabethtown instead of Bardstown?

Elizabethtown, KY is 24.4 miles from Bardstown and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bardstown an affordable place to study general studies?

Bardstown’s median household income of $49,781 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bardstown 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Bardstown

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 General Studies Schools in Kentucky (2026)