Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Shelbyville, KY (2026)

Shelbyville, Kentucky has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Shelbyville has a population of about 17,436. Median household income is $73,733 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $91,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Shelbyville

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

#1

Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 25.8 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 63.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY 28.8 miles from Shelbyville 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

#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 41.3 miles from Shelbyville BOC Score 70.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 76

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

#4

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 70.6 miles from Shelbyville 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

#5

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 107.9 miles from Shelbyville 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

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Shelbyville

Shelbyville 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$61,640Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$66,208
Management Analyst$91,560Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$98,346
Technical Writer$89,260Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$95,875
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$60,150Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$64,608
Editor$59,430KY statewide$63,835
Training and Development Specialist$63,270Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$67,959
Human Resources Specialist$71,880Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$77,207

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.


Shelbyville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population17,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,733Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Shelby County47 workers, 12 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Shelbyville-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Shelbyville, KY?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Shelbyville are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Shelbyville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Shelbyville are: Management Analyst ($91,560), Technical Writer ($89,260), Human Resources Specialist ($71,880). 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 Jeffersontown instead of Shelbyville?

Jeffersontown, KY is 18.4 miles from Shelbyville and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Shelbyville an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Shelbyville’s median household income of $73,733 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelbyville 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Shelbyville

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.