Kentucky Community Colleges
Liberal Arts Programs
Liberal-arts transfer programs at community colleges in this state. English, history, philosophy, and the social sciences for university transfer.
15 colleges · 1052 sections · 42 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
The liberal-arts associate at Kentucky community colleges is the most common transfer degree in the KCTCS system. It's designed as a complete 2-year general-education foundation — English composition, history, math, lab science, social science, fine arts — that articulates to any four-year university in the state. Students complete two years at community-college tuition rates and arrive at the bachelor's program as juniors with sophomore standing in their declared major.
This term's 1052 sections across 15 KCTCS colleges fill those general-education buckets. The right college often comes down to schedule (online availability, evening sections) and proximity rather than program differences — the curriculum is intentionally similar across institutions to keep the transfer guarantee working. Compare colleges below by section count and transfer agreements.
Earnings & outcomes for Liberal Arts graduates
Federal College Scorecard data on what graduates of this program actually earn after completion. Where a school’s cohort is too small to publish, we show the national benchmark for the same field of study.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, per-program (4-digit CIP) data. CIP 2401 — Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. School cohorts are suppressed by the federal source when fewer than ~30 completers in the reporting cohort.
Colleges offering Liberal Arts
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College | 178 | 27 | 86 | 1581 | $38,707 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College | 132 | 21 | 62 | 1472 | $44,701 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical College | 92 | 19 | 53 | 1064 | $36,921 |
| Gateway Community and Technical College | 88 | 11 | 61 | 573 | $40,421 |
| Owensboro Community and Technical College | 84 | 21 | 35 | 719 | $37,879 |
| Hopkinsville Community College | 72 | 12 | 44 | 451 | $37,089 |
| Somerset Community College | 67 | 15 | 47 | 641 | $33,004 |
| Maysville Community and Technical College | 65 | 17 | 56 | 349 | $36,643 |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College | 63 | 15 | 36 | 528 | $35,845 |
| Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College | 52 | 10 | 20 | 398 | $30,937 |
| Ashland Community and Technical College | 45 | 13 | 25 | 299 | $36,398 |
| Hazard Community and Technical College | 42 | 7 | 30 | 304 | $34,660 |
| Madisonville Community College | 31 | 10 | 23 | 360 | $33,632 |
| Henderson Community College | 23 | 8 | 12 | 226 | $35,219 |
| Big Sandy Community and Technical College | 18 | 7 | 15 | 379 | $33,017 |
Liberal Arts Availability Snapshot
How liberal arts sections are being offered across 15 colleges in Kentucky this term (1052 sections total).
Delivery format
- online605 (58%)
- in person236 (22%)
- hybrid211 (20%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)289
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)141
- Evening (5 PM and after)12
- Asynchronous / TBA610
Start dates
Sections begin on 10 distinct dates. 1035 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 286 distinct instructors across 15 colleges.
Common Liberal Arts courses
- ENG 101Writing I(423 sections)
- ENG 102Writing II(144 sections)
- ENG 100English Workshop(96 sections)
- HIS 109History of the US Since 1865(76 sections)
- HIS 108History of the US Through 1865(69 sections)
- HIS 101World Civilization I(42 sections)
- PHI 110Medical Ethics(27 sections)
- ENG 161Intro to Literature(22 sections)
- HIS 102World Civilization II(19 sections)
- HIS 240History of Kentucky(18 sections)
- HIS 120The World at War, 1939-45(13 sections)
- HIS 265History of Women in America(13 sections)
Frequently asked questions
- What is a liberal-arts degree good for?
- Almost exclusively transfer. The liberal-arts AA isn't a career-track degree on its own; it's the first two years of a bachelor's, packaged so you can complete it at much lower tuition before moving to a four-year school. The major you eventually declare at the four-year (English, history, sociology, psychology, business, etc.) determines your career path.
- Will all my liberal-arts credits transfer to a Kentucky four-year university?
- If you complete the full associate of arts at a KCTCS college, yes — under Kentucky's statewide articulation agreement, the entire degree transfers as a block to any public four-year, giving you junior standing. Where students lose credits is by taking random courses outside the structured AA pathway. Talk to your transfer advisor early.
- Can I save money by doing my first two years at community college?
- Yes, often substantially. Kentucky community college tuition is typically less than half what a state university charges, and the credits transfer 1:1 if you stick to the structured AA. Two years of saved tuition often translates to $20–40k less debt at graduation.
- How long does the liberal-arts associate take?
- Two years full-time (60 credits). Many students complete it in three or more years on a part-time schedule — community colleges build their evening, weekend, and online sections around working students.
Compare Liberal Arts programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Kentucky’s liberal arts programs stack up.
Other programs in Kentucky
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.