By Tessa Redmond
Kentucky Today
Nationally, nearly one in five undergraduates are raising a child while pursuing a degree.
Kentucky’s universities include resources for pregnant and parenting students in compliance with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex -including pregnancy, childbirth and parental status–and requires reasonable accommodations to provide pregnant women and parents equal access to educational opportunities. But a recent study determined more can be done to support Kentucky’s undergraduate parents.
Students for Life of America, a pro-life advocacy organization, evaluated 553 public state colleges and universities, including eight in Kentucky. The 2026 Campus Pregnancy Support Study rates the institutions on a five-star scale according to five core categories: housing policies, on-campus resources, financial assistance, medical attention and accommodations and policy transparency.
Kentucky’s universities had an average rating of 3.3 stars. Morehead State University (MSU) and Kentucky State University (KSU) were the lowest rated schools, with the University of Kentucky (UK) standing out for total accommodations. Western Kentucky University (WKU) and Northern Kentucky University (NKU) rounded out the top three; the University of Louisville (UofL) and Murray State were middle of the pack.
All eight schools provide lactation rooms, pregnancy testing, housing for pregnant students and life-affirming referrals (such as local OBGYNs, Federally Qualified Health Centers and pregnancy resource centers). KSU and MSU are the only ones who do not list pregnant and parenting student policies/statements or accommodations online; KSU alone does not provide diaper changing stations on campus.
On-campus childcare, family housing, maternity parking and scholarships/grants for pregnant and parenting students were the least common resources statewide.
That reflects national trends.
KSU, NKU, UK and WKU provide childcare on campus. Kentucky outpaces the national average, with less than 50% of schools offering the resource-intensive accommodation.
Family housing is rare across the board, but MSU, UK and WKU do offer the resource to qualifying students.
UofL is the only school Students for Life determined provides maternity parking.
Most schools nationwide (85%) do not offer scholarships or grants specifically for pregnant and parenting students; only UK and NKU provide that resource in the bluegrass state.
“Institutions should implement accommodations that are appropriate for their size, resources, and student population. If a college or university cannot provide students with the necessary accommodations, the institution should, at the very least, develop a relationship with and refer students to supportive agencies in the community,” the study concluded.
Kentucky school rankings:
1 University of Kentucky, 4.5 stars
2 Western Kentucky University, 4 stars
3 Northern Kentucky University, 4 stars
4 University of Louisville, 3.5 stars
5 Murray State University, 3.5 stars
6 Eastern Kentucky University, 3 stars
7 Morehead State University, 2 stars
8 Kentucky State University, 2 stars
Read the 2026 Campus Pregnancy Support Study here.