KCTCS celebrates Community College Month in April
Published on Apr 2, 2025
State’s largest provider of higher education and workforce training reflects on key progress
April is Community College Month, and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System is celebrating its collective impact on students, the workforce and the state’s economy throughout the month.
“This annual observance also provides an opportunity to express our gratitude to those who make our success possible — lawmakers, partners, employers, faculty, staff, and especially our students who trust us with their education and workforce training,” said KCTCS President Ryan Quarles.
Throughout April, the system will highlight its mission of providing affordable, high-quality education and workforce training. With the lowest tuition among Kentucky’s higher education institutions, students at one of the 16 community colleges pay less than half the rate of what they would pay at most four-year universities. Without community colleges, many Kentuckians could face financial and logistical barriers to higher education.
In addition to being a low-cost provider, the Dual Credit Scholarship provides several free classes for high school students to get a head start on college, while the Work Ready Scholarship offers financial assistance to students in training programs aligned with the state’s targeted industry sectors.
KCTCS enrolled over 107,000 students last year, representing over 45% of the state’s public undergraduate students.
2023-24 highlights and achievements
- Record-breaking credentials: Awarded a total of 42,910 credentials to 22,645 graduates - both all-time highs.
- National leader: Ranked No. 1 in the nation in credentials awarded per capita by public, two-year institutions.
- Improved completion rates: Six-year completion rate increased by 3.6 percentage points, placing KCTCS fourth in the nation for community colleges. This progress helped Kentucky achieve a No. 2 national ranking in overall higher education gains.
- Targeted industry sectors: Nearly 95% of KCTCS credentials awarded were in programs aligned to the state’s top 5 targeted industry sectors or designed for university transfer.
- Critical workforce training: Awarded 33,301 credentials from programs tied to occupations identified as critical to the infrastructure of the United States, a 9% increase over last year and a 15% increase since 2019-2020. These credentials support fields such as law enforcement, firefighting, education, childcare, construction, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and more.
- Healthcare education leader: Among public institutions, 9 out of 10 associate degrees in nursing and allied health were earned by KCTCS students.
Upcoming Events
KCTCS and its colleges will host special events throughout Community College Month, including:
- April 4 – Going Pro Launch
- April 14-18 – Dual Credit Week
- April 16 – Giving Day
Established by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1998, KCTCS has improved the lives of 1.2 million Kentuckians.
