Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

What Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education does

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is a non-merit state government coordinating board established under the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997 (House Bill 1) and operating under Kentucky Revised Statute 164.020. It is attached to the Governor's Office and constitutes the sole state-level authority for postsecondary education coordination in Kentucky. CPE oversees 8 public universities and 16 community and technical colleges (the Kentucky Community and Technical College System), licenses non-public institutions operating in the state, approves new academic programs, sets tuition parameters, and allocates performance-based state funding. The Council also serves a regulatory and consumer protection function for students and families.

CPE operates a portfolio of programmatic initiatives rather than a unified product. Core offerings include statewide infrastructure (Kentucky Virtual Library, Academic Common Market), federal access programs (GEAR UP Kentucky), student success initiatives (Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, Kentucky Advising Academy, Collegiate Recovery Resource Centers), and workforce development programs (Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, Community Learning Network, AERO Act aviation initiative, CLIMB-Health, Heroes to Healers, Prison Education). It maintains the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS) as its primary data asset. Technology stack is conventional for a state agency: no public APIs, no proprietary AI systems, and no commercial software products.

CPE is funded through biennial state appropriations from the Kentucky General Fund rather than through commercial revenue. It provides services free of charge to institutions and consumers as part of its governmental mandate. The Council's go-to-market motion is policy and regulatory in nature (council meetings, committee reviews, public forums) rather than sales-led, with engagement directed at institutional leadership, state agency partners (Department for Community-Based Services, Cabinet for Health and Family Services), and increasingly at students and families through direct awareness campaigns. As of Academic Year 2025, the system under CPE coordination produced 54,000+ degrees and 44,000+ credentials, and Kentucky ranked second nationally for college completions.

Name

Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Legal name

Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Website

https://cpe.ky.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is a state government coordinating board that oversees Kentucky's 8 public universities and 16 community/technical colleges, licensing private institutions, approving academic programs, allocating performance funding, and administering workforce and student success initiatives under the Governor's Office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Postsecondary Education Policy & Coordination

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions (EDADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Education Regulatory Authorities & Commissions (Cross-Sector) (EDADAAAD)

Keywords

• Postsecondary education coordination
• Higher education policy
• Academic program approval
• Institutional licensure
• Workforce development initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State Funding and Appropriations: As a state government agency, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is funded through state appropriations and general fund allocations. The Council produces and submits biennial budget requests for adequate public funding of postsecondary education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is the state coordinating board for Kentucky's postsecondary education system, established under KRS 164. It coordinates 8 public universities and 16 community and technical colleges, approves new academic programs, sets tuition policy, licenses non-public institutions, administers performance funding, and operates statewide initiatives including the Kentucky Virtual Library, GEAR UP Kentucky, the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, and workforce development programs. The Council also produces biennial budget requests and statewide data analytics through the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Data System (KPEDS).

Product overview

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education operates as a portfolio of coordinated programs and initiatives rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include statewide infrastructure services (Kentucky Virtual Library, Academic Common Market), federal access programs (GEAR UP Kentucky), student success initiatives (Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, Kentucky Advising Academy), workforce development programs (Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, Community Learning Network, AERO Act, CLIMB-Health, Heroes to Healers), and system coordination functions (Commonwealth Education Continuum, Performance Funding, Dual Credit). These programs work together to advance Kentucky's 60x30 educational attainment goal of raising the percentage of Kentuckians with postsecondary degrees or credentials to 60% by 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL) A statewide digital library service providing access to electronic databases, e-books, and research resources for all Kentucky libraries including postsecondary, public, and K-12 institutions.
• GEAR UP Kentucky A federal college access and readiness program providing early intervention, tutoring, mentoring, scholarship support, and family engagement services to low-income students in Kentucky.
• Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC) An initiative focused on student persistence, completion, and success metrics, offering leadership development programs such as Leadership exChange for students and institutional staff.
• Kentucky Advising Academy (KAA) A statewide advising initiative providing professional development, tools, and resources for educators to support students in college and career planning through multi-grade advising frameworks.
• Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund (HWIF) A $10 million state-funded initiative supporting healthcare workforce development through public-private partnerships, scholarships for nursing and healthcare students, and equipment funding.
• Community Learning Network A workforce training modernization initiative for human services professionals operated by a consortium of three universities (Brescia, Morehead State, Northern Kentucky) with regional centers across Kentucky.
• AERO Act / Aviation Workforce Program Legislation and advisory committee supporting aviation workforce development including air traffic control degree programs and aviation education initiatives across Kentucky institutions.
• CLIMB-Health A healthcare workforce collaborative initiative addressing healthcare professional shortages through training partnerships and workforce development programs.
• Commonwealth Education Continuum A collaborative initiative bridging K-12 and postsecondary education to improve transitions, aligned academic standards, and educational attainment across Kentucky.
• Heroes to Healers A workforce development program supporting military veterans in transitioning to healthcare careers through training and employment pathways.
• Prison Education Program Educational programs and initiatives providing postsecondary educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals in Kentucky prisons.
• Academic Common Market A tuition reciprocity program allowing Kentucky residents to attend out-of-state institutions offering specialized programs not available in-state at in-state tuition rates.
• Kentucky Graduate Profile Academy An initiative supporting institutions in implementing graduate profile frameworks that define essential skills and competencies students should possess upon graduation.
• Dual Credit Program Statewide initiative enabling high school students to earn college credit through approved dual credit courses, with advisory council overseeing policy and quality standards.
• Performance Funding System A funding allocation model for public universities based on performance metrics including graduation rates, retention, and institutional outcomes.
• Collegiate Recovery Resource Centers (CRRCs) Support services for students in recovery from substance use and addiction, providing peer support and sober living environments on campus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61% six-year graduation rate for public university students; 51% three-year graduation rate for KCTCS institutions; 54,000+ degrees and 44,000+ credentials awarded in AY25; ranked 2nd nationally in college completions

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Eastern Kentucky UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026EKU received unanimous CPE approval for its budget request to establish Kentucky's second College of Osteopathic Medicine. The $50 million appropriation request would address the state's severe doctor shortage with over 2 million Kentuckians in medically underserved areas.
• Murray State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026CPE approved Murray State University's Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine program, making it the first state-supported veterinary program in Kentucky. The university is constructing a $60 million Veterinary Sciences Building funded by the state legislature to address veterinary shortages in 80 of Kentucky's 120 counties.
• Baptist Health PaducahcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Healthcare provider partner in Murray State University's nursing scholarship program through CPE's Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. The partnership provides dollar-for-dollar matching and requires scholarship recipients to commit to working at the hospital after graduation, addressing Kentucky's healthcare workforce shortage.
• Mercy HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Healthcare provider partner in Murray State University's nursing scholarship program through CPE's Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. The partnership provides dollar-for-dollar matching and requires scholarship recipients to commit to working at the hospital after graduation, addressing Kentucky's healthcare workforce shortage.
• Jackson Purchase Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Healthcare provider partner in Murray State University's nursing scholarship program through CPE's Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. The partnership provides dollar-for-dollar matching and requires scholarship recipients to commit to working at the hospital after graduation, addressing Kentucky's healthcare workforce shortage.
• CHI Saint Joseph HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025Healthcare system providing matching funds for Asbury University's nursing scholarship program through CPE's Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund. The partnership includes guaranteed employment at CHI facilities for scholarship recipients upon graduation, directly addressing nursing workforce needs in Kentucky.
• Department for Community-Based Services (DCBS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025State agency partner in the Community Learning Network initiative, which modernizes workforce training for over 5,000 human services professionals across 120 Kentucky counties. CPE serves as the strategic backbone, providing oversight, curriculum modernization, financial accountability, and compliance assurance.
• Cabinet for Health and Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025State cabinet partner in the Community Learning Network initiative, working with DCBS and CPE to modernize workforce training for human services professionals across Kentucky's 120 counties.
• Brescia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025One of three universities in the Community Learning Network consortium providing regional training centers for over 5,000 human services professionals. Brescia University is part of a consortium approach that replaced single-vendor training at Eastern Kentucky University.
• Morehead State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025One of three universities in the Community Learning Network consortium providing regional training centers for over 5,000 human services professionals. Morehead State hosts regional centers in Morehead and serves as a key partner in the modernized workforce training initiative.
• Northern Kentucky UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025One of three universities in the Community Learning Network consortium providing regional training centers for over 5,000 human services professionals. NKU hosts regional centers in Louisville and serves as a key partner in the modernized workforce training initiative.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers): National association representing state higher education executive officers and coordinating boards. Comparable through the lens of CPE's president being named "Most Outstanding State Higher Education Executive Officer" by this body; provides benchmarking, research, and convening functions across CPE's peer network.

Direct peers

• State Council of Higher Education for Virginia: Virginia's higher education coordinating council performing parallel functions in policy development, statewide planning, and institutional oversight. Comparable size and institutional footprint.
• Tennessee Higher Education Commission: Tennessee's state higher education coordinating board with analogous authority over public universities and community colleges, performance funding, and academic program approval. Directly comparable as a neighboring state coordinating entity with similar scope and regulatory role.
• Ohio Department of Higher Education: Ohio's coordinating body for postsecondary education with parallel responsibilities for statewide coordination, funding allocation, and program approval. Comparable governance structure and mission focused on attainment and workforce alignment.
• Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development: Missouri's coordinating agency for postsecondary education and workforce development. Particularly comparable because of explicit integration of workforce development, mirroring CPE's HWIF and CLIMB-Health initiatives.
• West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission: West Virginia's higher education policy commission with comparable governance, program approval authority, and public-system coordination mandate in a neighboring Appalachian state.
• Indiana Commission for Higher Education: Indiana's statewide higher education coordinating commission performing equivalent policy coordination, performance funding, and licensure functions. Comparable in scope and institutional oversight authority.
• Illinois Board of Higher Education: Illinois's statewide higher education policy and coordinating board with comparable authority over public universities, planning, and accountability systems. Similar coordinating-board structure and regulatory mandate.

Regional players

• Indiana State Board of Education: Adjacent state-level education governance body that influences K-12/postsecondary transitions, comparable to CPE's Commonwealth Education Continuum initiative bridging K-12 and postsecondary education.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Texas's higher education coordinating board overseeing a much larger system of public institutions but performing structurally analogous functions: statewide coordination, program approval, funding formulas, and attainment goal-setting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpenews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCK10p_HfwBdgRpVPjgz8i1A
• Facebookfacebook.com/kycpe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kycpe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education