Lexington
Surrounded by rolling hills and scenic horse farms of the Bluegrass, Lexington, Kentucky is known for its natural beauty and moderate weather.
In 2015, Forbes ranked Lexington the 15th Best City in the US for business and careers. The Patterson School's home was also recently declared the 7th "brainiest" US city based on the percentage of citizens holding college degrees - coming in just behind San Diego and ahead of Denver. Finally, the American Institute for Economic Research called Lexington one of the nation’s best college towns.
At just over 300000 people, Lexington supports myriad cultural attractions, including an opera, two ballet companies, Broadway theater productions, a philharmonic orchestra, and countless art galleries. The city is alive with talented bluegrass, country, jazz, blues, and rock musicians. Sports fans are blessed with the finest college basketball team in the history of the sport, SEC football and baseball, minor league baseball, and the nearby Cincinnati Bengals and Reds.
The Bluegrass offers a wide variety of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, ranging from canoeing on the nearby Kentucky River and hiking in the famous Red River Gorge to biking through horse country. White water rafting and spelunking are also within easy striking distance. More leisurely pursuits include afternoons at Keeneland Racetrack, Gallery Hop, making the rounds on Kentucky's Bourbon Trail or skating downtown at the outdoor ice rink.
In addition to being the world center of the thoroughbred racehorse breeding industry, central Kentucky is home to major corporations such as Ashland , Yum!, Big Ass Solutions, Toyota USA, Alltech, Lexmark International, Tempur-Pedic International, and Link-Belt. Nevertheless, Lexington maintains the ambience and charm of a university town, with the offerings of a much larger city.
University of Kentucky
With more than 30,000 students representing over 100 countries, the University of Kentucky is the Commonwealth’s flagship institution of higher education. The main campus encompasses over 800 acres near historic downtown Lexington, including a large arboretum. The W. T. Young Library is renowned for its superb architecture, holdings (3.5 million volumes), and endowment. A state-of-the-art $700 million university hospital opened in 2011 and today over one billion dollars in new construction is underway - including a $200 million student center, $500 million for new student housing, a $265 million research building, and a total renovation of the business school. Click here to take a virtual tour of campus.
Patterson School students can take advantage of UK's wide range of academic programs and offerings. Kentucky is one of only a few universities to house separate colleges of Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Communications and Information Studies, Design, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work on a single campus.
UK is in the midst of a strategic effort to become one of the nation's top public research universities. The university has already completed a billion dollar fund raising campaign to ensure its facilities and programs can meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Patterson School is integral to that goal, educating future global leaders determined to make a difference.