Do South Carolina Residents Get In-State Tuition in Kentucky? (Undergraduate, 2026)
ACM — in-state rate
Sometimes — South Carolina and Kentucky both belong to Academic Common Market, which can bring undergraduate tuition at University of Kentucky down to the in-state rate of about $13,700 from $34,200, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $13,700/yr
- Resident pays
- $13,700/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $34,200/yr
- Saved over 4 yrs
- $82,000
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
South Carolina and Kentucky both belong to Academic Common Market, and that program is the most generous of the four regional agreements: an approved student pays the receiving institution's full in-state rate. At University of Kentucky that is $13,700 against a $34,200 non-resident rate.
Seen from South Carolina, this is one option among 50. 11 other states offer South Carolina residents a reduced undergraduate rate, the lowest being Mississippi at about $9,900, against $13,700 for in-state study at University of South Carolina.
Confirm the specific campus takes part. State-level membership is necessary and not sufficient, and several flagship universities either exclude their most competitive majors or sit out entirely.
Every route from South Carolina to Kentucky
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Common Market | An approved ACM student pays the receiving institution's full in-state tuition rate. The gate is availability at home: the program must appear on SREB's approved inventory for your state, which in practice means your own state's public universities do not offer that specific degree. You are certified as ACM-eligible by your home state's ACM coordinator before the receiving institution will apply the rate. | $13,700 | $20,500 | Conditional |
Where South Carolina residents pay less
Staying home, a South Carolina resident pays $13,700 a year for in-state undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina. The cheapest Kentucky option for you is $13,700 at University of Kentucky, the same as South Carolina's own in-state rate.
South Carolina belongs to Academic Common Market (ACM) at undergraduate level, so 12 of 50 states offer South Carolina undergraduate students a reduced rate, and Kentucky is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina to Mississippi | Academic Common Market · University of Mississippi | $9,900 |
| South Carolina to West Virginia | Academic Common Market · West Virginia University | $9,900 |
| South Carolina to Arkansas | Academic Common Market · University of Arkansas | $10,300 |
| South Carolina to Maryland | Academic Common Market · University of Maryland, College Park | $11,900 |
| South Carolina to Louisiana | Academic Common Market · Louisiana State University | $12,000 |
South Carolina's neighboring states, compared
What a South Carolina resident pays for undergraduate tuition in each state that borders South Carolina, cheapest first:
- Georgia$12,100/yr · Academic Common Market
- North Carolina$39,300/yr · non-resident
Compare all 50 states from South Carolina in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
Kentucky residency, in brief
Kentucky grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (13 KAR 2:045), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to Kentucky to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
Kentucky residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen Kentucky campus participates in Academic Common Market — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your South Carolina residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: Kentucky grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $13,700 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do South Carolina residents get in-state tuition in Kentucky?
Effectively yes, through Academic Common Market, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $13,700 while remaining a South Carolina resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (13 KAR 2:045), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would undergraduate study in Kentucky actually cost a South Carolina resident?
About $13,700 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Academic Common Market, against $34,200 at the published non-resident rate and $13,700 for a Kentucky resident. Over 4 years that is roughly $82,000 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Where can South Carolina residents get reduced undergraduate tuition?
In 12 states at undergraduate level. Outside Kentucky, the lowest are Mississippi ($9,900), West Virginia ($9,900), Arkansas ($10,300). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in Kentucky cheaper than staying in South Carolina?
On tuition it is a wash: $13,700 a year in Kentucky against the same $13,700 in-state rate at University of South Carolina.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Kentucky — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of South Carolina — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from University of Kentucky’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (SREB). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, 13 KAR 2:045. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.