Best Innovation Schools Near Lexington, KY (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lexington, Kentucky has 9 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $5,517 to $50,640 per year for indexed programs. Lexington has a population of about 312,495. In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $144,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Innovation Schools to Lexington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer innovation programs near Lexington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lexington 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 Lexington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY 24.4 miles from Lexington BOC Score 40.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 22

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

#2

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 68.4 miles from Lexington BOC Score 56.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY 68.6 miles from Lexington BOC Score 33.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY 71.8 miles from Lexington BOC Score 59.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 57

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

#5

Interactive College of Technology-Newport

Newport, KY 72.1 miles from Lexington BOC Score 31.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
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

#6

Simmons College of Kentucky

Louisville, KY 72.3 miles from Lexington BOC Score 29.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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

#7

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 131.7 miles from Lexington BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Brescia University

Owensboro, KY 145.9 miles from Lexington BOC Score 43.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Innovation Wages Near Lexington

Lexington is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area (BLS area code 30460). 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$80,440Lexington-Fayette, KY$86,588
Management Analyst$99,190Lexington-Fayette, KY$106,771
Marketing Manager$127,040Lexington-Fayette, KY$136,749
Computer and Information Systems Manager$144,160Lexington-Fayette, KY$155,178

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.

Lexington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lexington-Area Cities With Innovation Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Lexington, KY?

Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Lexington. The closest is Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY (68.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Hamilton (92.4 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Lexington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Lexington are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($144,160), Marketing Manager ($127,040), Management Analyst ($99,190). 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 Nicholasville instead of Lexington?

Nicholasville, KY is 12.0 miles from Lexington and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Lexington

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

Data verified: August 11, 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 Innovation Schools in Kentucky: Online Programs (2026)