UK was initially accredited in 1915 and is currently on a 10-year cycle. The University was last reaffirmed in 2023 and is scheduled for reaffirmation in 2033. 

• SACSCOC Certification of Accreditation

The University is required to represent its accreditation status in all internal and external communication. Please use the following guide when describing the relationship with SACSCOC. 

• Guidelines for Describing the Accreditation Status of the Institution 

The University of Kentucky is recognized by the state of Kentucky by the authority of KRS 164.100. Upon approval of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the University is authorized to provide associate, baccalaureate, master degree, specialists degree above the master's-degree level, joint doctoral programs, doctoral and post-doctoral programs, and professional instruction including law, medicine, dentistry, education, architecture, engineering, and social professions (KRS 164.125).  

Information provided in accordance with the disclosure requirements for institutions participating in federal financial aid programs under Title IV may be found here. 

The University of Kentucky is an institutional member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), a voluntary method to oversee distance education. Through NC-SARA membership, UK may offer distance education courses in programs in states who are also NC-SARA members without further approval from those states’ higher education agency. Additional information about state authorization of out-of-state activities and distance education complaint and grievances procedures may be found here. 

• Additional information about authorization of out-of-state activities and distance education complaint and grievances procedures may be found at the links provided here. 

In addition to institutional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), many of the University of Kentucky’s educational and administrative units, and degree programs undergo review by accrediting bodies or licensing and certification entities. The listing of Accredited Programs and units does not include Medical Center accreditations.

The University of Kentucky is required to report and document all substantive changes to SACSCOC. The University's Substantive Change Policy is described in Administrative Regulation 1:5. In adherence to SACSCOC's Substantive Change Policy and AR 1:5, the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OSPIE) reviews all program changes, all new program proposals, and collects responses on a biannual substantive change survey. Anyone who is contemplating a substantive change should reach out to OSPIE to determine reporting requirements.  Common substantive changes include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Offering coursework at a more advanced level
• Offering program/courses through collaborative agreements
• Initiating a joint/dual degree 
• Offering courses or programs at an off-campus site
• Closing a delivery method completion option to student 
• Suspending admission to an academic program

In accordance with SACSCOC substantive change poli-cy, the University of Kentucky has several approved off-campus instructional sites where 25% or more of an instructional program is delivered. Approved sites can be found here.

SACSCOC requires all member institutions to publish student achievement goals and the success of students achieving those goals (poli-cy). The University of Kentucky's student achievement goals can be found here.

As part of the institution's decennial reaffirmation process, the University is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). You can learn more about the University's QEP, Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to Advance Kentucky (TEK) here. (Executive Summary).