Rankings & Recognition
MSU ranks #11 among public regional universities in the South for Best Value Schools for In-State Students. Morehead State has earned recognition as a Top 25 university by U.S. News & World Report for the past decade and has ranked among the top public regional universities in the South for more than 20 years.
Morehead State University has been elevated to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a Research College and University for 2025, recognizing its growing commitment to research and scholarly excellence.
MSU is recognized as a community-engaged institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This recognition, first received in 2006 and reaffirmed in both 2015 and 2026, reflects our ongoing commitment to community engagement.
College of Distinction
Morehead State has been recognized for its honorable commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow, and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a unique guide for college-bound students. MSU has been named a 2026-27 College of Distinction.
MSU earned College of Distinction recognition in the following categories:
- 2026-27 College of Distinction
- Kentucky Universities
- Public Universities
- Business
- Education
- Nursing
- Affordable
- Career Development
- Military Support
The Colleges of Distinction selection process comprises a sequence of in-depth research and detailed interviews with schools. It accepts only those that adhere to the Four Distinctions: Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community, and Successful Outcomes.
2026
- Morehead State recognized as Yellow Ribbon School
- MSU Master of Music earns Affordability Ranking
- MSU once again named College of Distinction
2025
- MSU named Top Veteran Friendly School
- MSU earns highest US News & World Report Ranking yet (#12)
- MSU Vet Tech program named Association of Veterinary Technician Educators Program of the Year
- MSU earns College of Distinction ranking for 25-26
- MSU earns Research College & University Status from Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning
- MSU earns Colleges of Distinction recognition for 2024-25
- MSU recognized by Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning for Student Access and Earnings
2024
- #14 U.S. News & World Report Top Regional Public Universities in the South
- #22 in Top 25 Facebook Accounts, #102 overall among D-1 university social media accounts, Rival IQ.
- Top Online Master's Programs in KY, #8 for Sociology MA, #19 for Educational Technology, Online Masters Colleges
- MBA program ranked by Fortune Magazine 3rd consecutive year - only KY university on the list, Fortune Magazine
- Veterinary Technology #13 nationally, #1 in Kentucky, Best Colleges
- Ed.D., 2024 Best Online Ed.D. Programs, Princeton Review
- Ed.D., Best Ed.D. Programs of 2024, Forbes Magazine
- MSU RN to BSN Program, #2 in Kentucky, RNCareers.org
2023
- #19 ranking, U.S. News & World Report
- Social Media: Facebook Top 100, overall 206 - ahead of other KY schools, Rival IQ
- "A" score from the National Council on Teacher Quality for Elementary Reading Instruction, https://www.nctq.org
- Recognized by Abound as a College of Distinction for Adult Students, abound.college
- Ed.D. ranked among top programs, Princeton Review
- Affordable College Ranking from Colleges of Distinction, Best Colleges
2022
- MBA ranked among most affordable online, Fortune Education
- Colleges of Distinction recognitions in these categories: Public Universities, Kentucky Universities, Business, Education, Nursing, Career Development, and Military Support
- #15 Top Public Regional Universities in the South, U.S. News and World Report
- Veterinary Technology Bachelor's Degree Program (#1 in KY, #8 in the U.S.), BestColleges.com
- 2022 Best Colleges for Adults, Abound.com
- Fortune 2022 Best Online MBA (Master of Business Administration) Programs
- MSU named a Gold-level Military Friendly School® for 2022-23 by Viqtory Media, https://www.militaryfriendly.com.
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program ranked among best by Princeton Review
2021
- 10 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Legal Studies for 2022 (#9) by BachelorsDegreeCenter.org
- #21, 6th year as a Top 25; U.S. News & World Report Top Public Regional Universities in the South
- Military Times: Best for Vets: Colleges 2021, colleges.militarytimes.com.
- MSU education programs earn multiple top rankings from Teaching Degree Search
- Ranked No. 1 in 2021 Most Popular Online Curriculum & Instruction Schools in Kentucky
- Ranked No. 1 in 2021 Best Value Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky
- Ranked No. 2 in 2021 Best Value Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
- Ranked No. 6 nationally in 2021 Best Value Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Certificate Schools
- Ranked No. 43 nationally in 2021 Best Value Curriculum & Instruction Schools
- Engineering Programs ranked second for best value schools and best value bachelor’s degree programs in the Southeast region, tradecollege.com.
- Ed.D. - Best Online Doctor of Education Programs, The Princeton Review
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting - Top 50 Accounting Degree Programs (#5), Intelligent.com
- Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology program ranked second in US, Intelligent.com
- Master of Arts in Teaching programs (#1) Top 50 Master’s in K-12 Education Degree Programs, Intelligent.com
- Best 25 X-Ray Tech Schools in 2021 (#13), BestValueSchools.org
- Best Bachelor's in Legal Studies Degrees (#8), Study.com
- Bronze-level Military Friendly Schools 2021-22, miltaryfriendly.com
- Best 20 Masters in Behavioral Science Schools in 2021 (#7), Best Value Schools
- Bachelor’s in business programs ranked #19, U.S. News & World Report’s list of the Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs for 2021
- Master of Arts in Teaching (Ranked #1 for Best Master's in K-12 Education Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Master of Arts in Adult and Higher Education (Ranked #1 for Best Master's in Adult Education Learning Degree Programs, Intelligent.com
- Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology (Ranked #2 for Best Veterinary Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Master of Arts in Sociology (Ranked #2 for Best Master's in Sociology Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (Ranked #5 for Best Accounting Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Master of Arts in Sport Management (Ranked #7 for Best Master's in Sports Management Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Master of Arts in English (Ranked #16 for Best Master's in English Language Learning Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- Doctor of Education (Ranked #23 for Best Doctorate in Education Degree Programs), Intelligent.com
- 25 Best Online Master’s in Sports Management programs for 2021; BestMastersPrograms.org
- #17, U.S. News & World ReportTop Public Universities in the South
Contact Us
Office of Communications & Marketing
134 Third St.
Morehead, KY 40351
EMAIL: coma@moreheadstate.edu
PHONE: 606-783-9328
FAX: 606-783-5056
