| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private for-profit university; campus and online programs |
| Campuses | 3 in Kentucky: Louisville (Bardstown Road, main), Louisville (Dupont Circle, College of Allied Health) and Lexington; plus a learning center in Louisa and online study |
| Credentials | Certificates, diplomas, associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees |
| Calendar | Quarters, with rolling quarterly starts; credits are quarter credit hours |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC); public disclosure statement posted December 2025 |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Undergraduate tuition | $290 to $585 per quarter credit hour by program (Supplement A, effective spring 2025, with August 2026 errata), plus $37.50 per credit from fall 2026 |
| Students | 2,498 in fall 2024 (2,085 undergraduate, 413 graduate) |
| Founded | 1962, as Sullivan Business College; Spencerian College and Sullivan College of Technology and Design merged in 2018 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Sullivan University: a private career university in Louisville and Lexington
Sullivan University is a private for-profit university that began in Louisville in 1962 as Sullivan Business College. In 2018 two sister schools, Spencerian College and Sullivan College of Technology and Design, merged into it. It now awards everything from 9-month certificates to doctorates and runs on quarters, with new starts each quarter. This page focuses on its career certificates, diplomas and associate degrees.
Classes are held at two Louisville campuses and one in Lexington, and business administration, cybersecurity, hospitality management and paralegal programs can be taken online. A learning center in Louisa serves Lawrence and nearby counties. The Fort Knox site closed in 2024, when the Army asked Sullivan to vacate its space on the base. College Navigator counted 2,498 students in fall 2024.
Programs at Sullivan, and where they are taught
The table shows the main career programs with the per-credit tuition in Sullivan’s current schedule. Sullivan counts quarter credit hours, so credit totals look higher than at semester schools: the Surgical Technology degree is about 92 credits.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Prepares for | Tuition per quarter credit hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | Diploma | 15 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road) | NCLEX-PN | $310 |
| Nursing (ASN; PN-to-ASN) | Associate | 21 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road), Lexington | NCLEX-RN | $410 |
| Surgical Technology | Associate, about 92 credits | 18–21 months | Louisville (Dupont Circle); some online courses, clinicals | CST | $490 |
| Radiologic Technology | Associate | 24 months | Louisville (Dupont Circle), Lexington | ARRT | $490 |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma; AS | 15 months; 24 months | Online coursework, one-week campus bootcamp, clinicals | Credentialing exam | $330 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Diploma; Community Pharmacy certificate | 15 months; 9 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road) | PTCE | $450 |
| Medical Coding | Certificate | 9 months | Ask the school | – | $450 |
| Culinary Arts | Certificate; Professional Cook diploma; AS | 9, 12 and 21 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road), Lexington | – | $585 |
| Baking & Pastry Arts | Professional Baker diploma; AS | 12 months; 21 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road); Lexington diploma closed to new students | – | $585 |
| Cybersecurity | Certificates, diploma, AS, BS | Diploma 12–18 months | Louisville and online | CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+; CCENT | $470 |
| IT support, software and web certificates; IT diploma | Certificates; diploma | Certificates 9–12 months; diploma 12 months | Louisville (Bardstown Road), Lexington | – | $470 |
| Business, accounting, HR, criminal justice, hospitality | Certificates to bachelor’s | 9 to 48 months | Campus and online | – | $430 |
| Paralegal Studies | AS; BS; post-baccalaureate certificate | 24, 48 and 15 months | Online, some on-campus formats | – | $430 |
Programmatic accreditation, as Sullivan lists it: CAAHEP for Surgical Technology and the Louisville Medical Assistant diploma, JRCERT for Radiologic Technology at both campuses, ASHP/ACPE for Pharmacy Technician and CAHIIM for Health Information Management. The Limited Medical Radiography diploma is approved by the Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, not accredited. Culinary and baking programs have no American Culinary Federation accreditation; Sullivan says its chefs hold ACF credentials. The nursing programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing and are listed in the 2026 catalog as candidates for ACEN accreditation (see below).
New in 2026 are Paralegal Studies, Strategic Communication, Digital Design and Social Media Management certificates and a Data Analyst diploma. Sullivan has no full-stack development program, and marketing is a concentration within the business BS, not a separate credential.
What the main programs cover
Nursing: Practical Nursing and the ASN
The Practical Nursing diploma takes 15 months at the Bardstown Road campus and leads to the NCLEX-PN for an LPN license. The Associate of Science in Nursing, taught in Louisville and Lexington, now takes 21 months after the catalog shortened it from 24, and leads to the NCLEX-RN; LPNs can enter through a PN-to-ASN route. Applicants take the NEX entrance test and a mobility test. From winter 2027, core nursing courses need a grade of at least 78% to pass. RN to BSN is a 30-month completion degree for working RNs.
Surgical Technology
The associate degree is 17 courses, about 92 quarter credits, completed in 18 to 21 months. It is taught on campus at Dupont Circle in Louisville, where the College of Allied Health is based, with some courses online and clinical rotations. The program is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of ARC/STSA, and graduates sit the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam. Sullivan publishes yearly CST pass and placement rates against benchmarks of 70% and 80%; both were above them in 2024 and 2025.
Radiologic Technology
The 24-month associate degree is taught at Dupont Circle in Louisville and at Lexington, and JRCERT has given it an 8-year accreditation award. Graduates sit the ARRT radiography exam. Sullivan publishes campus-by-campus pass, completion and placement figures: in 2024 placement was 48% at Louisville and 100% at Lexington, and the first-attempt pass rate at both campuses was below the 75% benchmark. The shorter Limited Medical Radiography diploma, 18 months, is approved by the Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy rather than accredited.
Medical Assistant
The diploma takes 15 months and the Associate of Science in Medical Assisting 24 months. All courses are completed online; students then attend a one-week bootcamp on campus, followed by clinical rotations. The diploma at Louisville is accredited by CAAHEP on MAERB’s recommendation. Sullivan’s published credentialing-exam pass rate dropped from 100% in 2022 to 50% in 2023 and 2024, and the school gives a five-year average of 70%.
Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry
The College of Hospitality Studies teaches on campus in Louisville and Lexington. Culinary students choose a 9-month certificate, a 12-month Professional Cook diploma or a 21-month daytime associate degree; baking students choose a 12-month Professional Baker diploma or a 21-month Baking & Pastry Arts associate degree. In Lexington the Professional Baker diploma is closed to new students as of September 2026, so ask which baking options remain there. Repeating a kitchen lab carries an extra charge.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity runs from three short certificates (Cybersecurity, Analyst and Professional) through a 12- to 18-month diploma to associate and bachelor’s degrees, at the Louisville campus and online. Sullivan says the coursework prepares students for CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and Linux+, Cisco CCENT and other industry exams. Related IT awards include Support Technician, System Support & Administration, Network Support Administration & Security, Software Developer and Web Developer certificates and the new Data Analyst diploma.
Tuition and how students pay
Sullivan has no separate 2026-27 price list. The rates in force are those in Catalog Supplement A, effective spring quarter 2025, as amended by errata in August 2026. Tuition is charged per quarter credit hour and depends on the program:
| Program group | Per quarter credit hour |
|---|---|
| RN to BSN | $290 |
| Strategic Communication (new 2026) | $305 |
| Practical Nursing | $310 |
| Medical Assisting | $330 |
| Associate of Science in Nursing | $410 |
| Business, accounting, criminal justice, hospitality, paralegal | $430 |
| Health and pharmacy (medical coding, HIM, pharmacy technician) | $450 |
| IT and cybersecurity | $470 |
| Imaging and surgical (radiography, surgical technology) | $490 |
| Culinary and baking | $585 |
| Graduate certificates and master’s | $375 |
| Active-duty and reserve military (most programs) | $165 |
| Academic support fee, from fall 2026 | +$37.50 |
The August 2026 errata add a new academic support fee of $37.50 per credit hour from fall quarter 2026, waived for students on the military rate and for PA and PharmD students. On a program of 80 to 105 quarter credits that is roughly $3,000 to $4,000 more, and the program totals Sullivan published earlier do not include it. Other charges include a $50 technology fee each quarter, a one-time $60 medical liability fee, a $164 nursing kit, a $200 medical assisting bootcamp fee, $35 for the nursing entrance test and $45 for the mobility test. Sullivan’s tuition page says e-books, 24/7 tutoring, uniforms, career services and parking are included.
Published tuition totals in Supplement A (before the new fee) include $26,660 for the Practical Nursing diploma, $42,230 for the ASN, $45,080 for Surgical Technology, $47,530 for Radiologic Technology and $52,650 for the culinary or baking associate degree. Graduate certificates and master’s degrees cost $375 per credit and the Ph.D. $660; the PharmD and MS Physician Assistant are priced as program totals.
Sullivan takes federal student aid. College Navigator puts 2024-25 tuition and fees for beginning undergraduates at $15,480, and Niche gives an average net price of $19,528 a year. Active-duty and reserve military pay $165 per credit in most programs. Named scholarships include the Governor’s Scholar award ($10,000 a year through a bachelor’s degree), Presidential ($7,500) and Eagle Scout and Gold Award ($6,000 each), a full-tuition culinary and baking scholarship at Louisville, and competition awards of $1,500 to $10,000; all apply to institutional charges only. Students of the Louisa learning center get 30% off if they live in Lawrence County and 20% off if they live in ten nearby Kentucky counties or Wayne County, West Virginia.
Open admission, with extra steps for nursing
Federal data shown on Niche gives a 100% acceptance rate, which in practice means open admission. Programs start every quarter, and the catalog calendar runs to January 2028. Nursing applicants also sit the NEX entrance test and a mobility test, and from winter 2027 nursing students need at least 78% in core nursing courses. Residence hall applicants need a background check, and Lexington apartment residents must be under 24.
Accreditation and results
Sullivan is accredited to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees by The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the new name of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The accreditor posted a public disclosure statement about Sullivan in December 2025; it is listed on the accreditor’s December 2025 actions page. Sullivan is licensed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and takes part in NC-SARA for online study across states.
The nursing programs are approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing, and the 2026 catalog lists Practical Nursing, the ASN and RN to BSN as candidates for initial ACEN accreditation, with the ASN candidacy set to expire on 13 December 2026. The Lexington ASN ran on a conditional license from the Council on Postsecondary Education, which the council extended in January 2024 to January 2026 pending full Board of Nursing approval. A January 2026 Board of Nursing education committee agenda listed an accreditation extension request for all of Sullivan’s nursing programs.
First-time NCLEX pass rates in 2025 were 51% to 53% for the Louisville Practical Nursing program and the Louisville and Lexington ASN, according to the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Sullivan does not publish NCLEX figures on its nursing pages.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| ASN, Louisville: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 51.5% (50 of 97) | 2025, Kentucky Board of Nursing |
| ASN, Lexington: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 51.4% (19 of 37) | 2025, Kentucky Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, Louisville: first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 53.3% (8 of 15) | 2025, Kentucky Board of Nursing |
| Surgical Technology: first-attempt CST pass rate; placement | 83%; 91.6% | 2025, Sullivan |
| Radiologic Technology: first-attempt ARRT pass rate | 56% Louisville (15 of 27); 43% Lexington | 2024, Sullivan |
| Employment rate, all locations (school definition) | 70% (515 of 734) | 2024, Sullivan |
| Graduation rate within 150% of normal time | 71% | First-time, full-time students entering fall 2018, College Navigator |
Surgical Technology results come from Sullivan’s College of Allied Health outcomes page, which also shows that both radiography campuses missed the 75% ARRT benchmark in 2024, after Louisville rates of 85% in 2022 and 82% in 2023.
The employment rate is Sullivan’s own measure, with a 70% benchmark and no published formula; it fell from 82% in 2020 to 69% in 2023 and 70% in 2024. The 71% graduation rate is for the fall 2018 cohort, the year of the merger; Sullivan’s own figures for the 2014 to 2017 cohorts were 20% to 30%.
Before you enroll
- The 2026 catalog lists the nursing programs as ACEN candidates, and about half of 2025’s first-time ASN and PN test takers passed the NCLEX. Ask about current approval and recent pass rates before you apply.
- Radiography first-attempt ARRT pass rates in 2024 were 56% at Louisville (82% in 2023) and 43% at Lexington, and Louisville placement was 48% that year.
- Costs are per quarter credit hour, from $290 to $585 by program, and the $37.50-per-credit academic support fee from fall 2026 adds thousands to a degree. Older program totals leave it out.
- Culinary and baking cost the most per credit ($585) and carry no ACF program accreditation. In Lexington the Professional Baker diploma is closed to new students.
- Sullivan designs its licensure programs to Kentucky standards. Students in other states, including online students, should check their own state’s licensing rules first.
Three campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville (main) | 3101 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205 | Business and IT, culinary, baking and hospitality, Practical Nursing, ASN, RN to BSN, Pharmacy Technician, PharmD |
| Louisville (Dupont Circle) | 4000 Dupont Circle, Louisville, KY 40207 | College of Allied Health: Surgical Technology, Radiologic Technology, Medical Assistant (campus portion) |
| Lexington | 2355 Harrodsburg Road, Lexington, KY 40504 | ASN and PN-to-ASN, Radiologic Technology, Culinary Arts, business and IT |
Online programs include business administration, cybersecurity, hospitality management and paralegal studies. The Louisa learning center serves eastern Kentucky students, and the Fort Knox area is now served through online programs and classes at the other campuses.
Housing, tutoring and career help
Sullivan runs Gardiner Point, a residence hall in Louisville (a shared room cost $2,145 a quarter from summer 2025, with a $1,350 meal plan), and apartments at Beaumont Farms in Lexington ($2,395 a quarter). Tuition covers career services and 24/7 tutoring, according to the school.
What students say
On Niche, Sullivan University is rated 3.96 out of 5 from 1,189 reviews, with an overall grade of B- (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise small classes and personal attention, hands-on nursing and culinary training, and flexible online options. The most common complaints are uneven instructors, problems with financial aid and administrative offices, and a sense that cost and profit come before students. The reviews cover the whole university, including graduate programs, and we could not see review dates, so we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nursing (Diploma)
- Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), including PN-to-ASN
- RN to BSN
Allied Health
- Surgical Technology (AS)
- Radiologic Technology (AS)
- Limited Medical Radiography (Diploma)
- Medical Assistant (Diploma; AS in Medical Assisting)
- Medical Coding (Certificate)
- Health Information Management (AS)
Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Technician (Diploma)
- Community Pharmacy (Certificate)
Culinary and Hospitality
- Culinary Arts (Certificate; AS)
- Professional Cook (Diploma)
- Baking & Pastry Arts (AS)
- Professional Baker (Diploma)
- Restaurant Studies (Certificate)
- Hospitality Studies (Certificate)
- Hospitality & Event Management (AS)
- Hospitality Management (BS)
Computer & Information Technology
- Support Technician (Certificate)
- System Support & Administration (Certificate)
- Network Support Administration & Security (Certificate)
- Software Developer (Certificate)
- Web Developer (Certificate)
- Information Technology (Diploma; AS; BS)
- Computer Information Technology (AS)
- Cybersecurity (Certificates; Diploma; AS; BS)
- Data Analyst (Diploma)
Business
- Business Administration (Certificate; Diploma)
- Business Administration (BS), including a Marketing concentration
- MBA
- Administrative Accounting (Certificate); Administrative Accounting Specialist (Diploma)
- Accounting (AS; BS)
- Human Resource Leadership (BS; MS)
Law & Criminal Justice
- Paralegal Studies (AS; BS; Post-Baccalaureate Certificate)
- Criminal Justice (Certificate; AS; BS)
Campus Locations
Louisville, KY 3101 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205
Louisville, KY 4000 Dupont Circle, Louisville, KY 40207
Lexington, KY 2355 Harrodsburg Road, Lexington, KY 40504