ucumberlands.edu

The One Price Promise is the University of the Cumberlands' all-inclusive tuition model: instead of billing separately for textbooks, technology, and academic support, the university bundles those costs into a single published price. According to the university's website, the promise covers "everything" with "zero fine print or exceptions." The exact list of what's included depends on whether you're an on-campus undergraduate, an online undergraduate, a graduate student, or an executive-format student.

What's included by student type

The university presents four pricing tracks, each with its own included items:

The core idea: one price, no separate line items

The model's selling point is transparency. Rather than quoting a base tuition rate and then adding course materials, technology charges, and support services on top, Cumberlands folds them into the figure you see. The university frames this as "one price for everything, all included, even course materials."

Two details are worth noting:

• Textbooks are included across all tracks. The university runs a Free Textbook Program as part of the promise, so students don't buy course materials separately.
• The on-campus track is the broadest. Housing, dining, parking, laundry, and student health appear only in the on-campus pricing context — they aren't listed for the online, graduate, or executive tracks, which makes sense since those students aren't living on campus.

What this means for judging cost transparency

If your main question is whether the advertised price is the real price, the One Price Promise is designed to answer yes for the items listed above. You can compare tracks directly because each one states a single rate and names what it includes.

A few practical caveats:

• "Or less" and "average" qualifiers matter. The on-campus figure is listed as "$19,175 or less," and the graduate figure is an "average program cost." Your actual total can differ from the headline number.
• The promise covers listed items, not every possible cost. Anything not named in the relevant track — for example, costs specific to a program or personal expenses — isn't addressed by the promise itself.
• Verify your specific program. With more than 55 majors and multiple formats, confirm the current rate and inclusions for your exact program before relying on the general figures.

The university also states it holds regional accreditation, with many programs accredited beyond that — relevant if you need to confirm credentials alongside cost.

For the most current numbers and inclusions, check the university's One Price Promise page directly, since published rates can change by term.

The University of the Cumberlands homepage gives prospective students three direct entry points: Apply Now to start an application, Schedule A Visit to arrange a campus visit, and Request Information to have details sent to you. All three sit together in the "Take the next step" section, so you can pick the one that matches where you are in the process — ready to apply, wanting to see the campus first, or still gathering information.

The three main actions on the homepage

These are the only next-step options the homepage presents, so there's no separate "contact admissions" path to hunt for — Request Information is the route for questions and follow-up.

Exploring programs before you apply

If you're not yet sure what to study, the site lets you browse by area of interest and by degree level rather than forcing you to know your major up front.

Degree levels available:

• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Executive
• Certificate

Areas of interest include:

• Applied Sciences
• Business
• Communications
• Education
• English
• General Studies
• Health & Wellness
• History & Political Science
• Information Technology
• Missions & Ministry
• Natural Sciences
• Nursing
• Social / Behavioral Sciences
• The Arts
• World Languages

There's also a "Not sure? Let us help you find the right path" option if none of the listed interests fit. The university states it offers more than 55 majors and pre-professional programs, available both on-campus and online, at undergraduate and graduate levels.

What you'll find once you're looking at costs

Cost is often the next question after "what can I study," and the homepage addresses it directly through the One Price Promise. The published figures are:

• On-campus undergraduate: $19,175 or less (without housing, $9,875)
• Online undergraduate: $220 per credit hour
• Graduate: $355 per credit hour (average program cost)
• Executive: $549 per credit hour (doctoral: $749 per credit hour)

The One Price Promise bundles tuition with parking fees, academic resources, dining, housing, laundry, counseling services, student health, books, library access, and technology fees for on-campus students. Online and graduate tiers include tuition, technology fees, academic resources, library access, counseling services, fees, and books. Textbooks are included across the board — the university runs a Free Textbook Program as part of the promise.

A practical order of steps

1. Browse programs by degree level and area of interest to narrow your options.
2. Request Information if you want details sent to you before deciding.
3. Schedule A Visit if seeing the campus would help you choose.
4. Apply Now when you're ready to submit an application.

If cost is your deciding factor, check the One Price Promise figures for your specific level (on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, or executive) before applying, since the per-credit-hour rates differ significantly between them.

Common sticking points

• The homepage doesn't list application deadlines or requirements — those details come through the Request Information route or the application itself.
• "One Price Promise" figures are published as starting or average costs, not final bills; the on-campus figure is explicitly "or less" and the graduate figure is labeled an average.
• Program availability varies by level, so confirm your intended major is offered at the degree level you want (undergraduate, graduate, executive, or certificate) before applying.

The University of the Cumberlands (ucumberlands.edu) is a private university in Kentucky that describes itself as an institution of regional distinction, offering degrees in every major field of study. According to its website, it enrolls more than 20,000 students and is the largest private university in Kentucky. It serves on-campus undergraduates, online undergraduates, graduate students, and executive learners, and it also offers certificate programs.

What the university offers

Cumberlands structures its academics around several student paths:

• On-campus undergraduate programs
• Online undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Executive programs
• Certificate programs

The site states there are more than 55 majors and pre-professional programs available to students both on-campus and online, at the undergraduate or graduate level. Areas of interest listed include Applied Sciences, Business, Communications, Education, English, General Studies, Health & Wellness, History & Political Science, Information Technology, Missions & Ministry, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Social/Behavioral Sciences, the Arts, and World Languages.

Accreditation

The university states that it holds regional accreditation, and that many of its programs are accredited beyond that. If a specific program's accreditation matters for your plans (for example, licensure or transfer credit), verify the individual program's status directly with the university before applying.

The "One Price Promise"

Cumberlands promotes a pricing model it calls the One Price Promise, which bundles costs that are often billed separately. According to the site, the included items vary by student type:

The site also states that all students get free textbooks as part of the One Price Promise.

Two things to keep in mind: the on-campus figure is presented as "$19,175 or less," and the graduate figure is labeled an "average program cost," so your actual cost may differ by program and housing choice. The listed prices are the ones published on the site; confirm current rates with the university before budgeting, since these figures can change.

Who it may suit

Cumberlands may be worth considering if you want:

• A private Kentucky university with a broad range of majors rather than a narrow specialty
• An online or executive format alongside traditional on-campus study
• A single bundled price rather than separately billed fees, books, and housing

If your priority is a specific program's accreditation, a particular tuition figure for your exact program, or admission requirements, those details aren't fully covered here—check the relevant program page or contact the university directly.

Yes. The University of the Cumberlands states that all students get free textbooks as part of its One Price Promise, and it markets this under a "Free Textbook Program." The benefit applies across the institution's student groups — the site lists books among the included items for on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, and executive students alike. The practical effect is that course materials are covered by tuition rather than billed as a separate out-of-pocket purchase, so the cost you see is meant to be the cost you pay for books.

What the One Price Promise covers

Cumberlands frames its tuition as all-inclusive: "What's included in your tuition? Everything." The items the site lists as included vary slightly by student type, but books appear in every category.

Two things are worth reading carefully in that table. First, the on-campus figure is presented as a total with a separate "without housing" number, so the housing and dining lines are part of what that price buys rather than add-ons. Second, the graduate and executive figures are labeled as averages or per-credit rates, which means your actual total depends on how many credit hours your program requires.

Why "free" textbooks still means checking your program

The textbooks are free in the sense that they are not a separate charge — they are bundled into the One Price Promise. That distinction matters for two reasons:

• The cost is real, just not itemized. You are not paying a bookstore bill, but the materials are funded through tuition. Comparing Cumberlands to a school with low tuition plus separate book costs means comparing total cost, not sticker tuition alone.
• Coverage is described at the institutional level. The site says all students get free textbooks, but it does not itemize which titles, formats, or delivery methods are covered for each program. If a specific course requires something outside the standard arrangement, that is a question for the program, not something the homepage answers.

How to confirm it for your situation

1. Identify your student type — on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, or executive — because the included-items list and pricing differ by category.
2. Check the price line for that category on the university's One Price Promise section and note whether it is a total, an average, or a per-credit rate.
3. Multiply per-credit rates by your program's required credit hours to estimate your actual tuition, since the site gives rates rather than program totals for graduate and executive study.
4. Ask the admissions or program office directly how textbook delivery works for your specific courses if you need certainty before enrolling.

The bottom line: textbooks are included, not billed separately, and that is a genuine reduction in out-of-pocket costs beyond tuition — but the size of the benefit depends on your program and how many credits you take.

Tuition at University of the Cumberlands varies by how you study and what credential you pursue. Based on the university's published One Price Promise figures, on-campus undergraduates pay a bundled annual rate (listed as $19,175 or less without housing, with $9,875 shown as tuition), online undergraduates pay $220 per credit hour, graduate students pay an average of $355 per credit hour, and executive/doctoral study runs $549 per credit hour, with doctoral programs at $749 per credit hour. Each rate is presented as all-inclusive, so the comparison below is about the pricing model and the numbers, not about add-on fees.

Tuition at a glance

What "One Price Promise" changes about the comparison

The university frames its pricing as "one price for everything, all included, even course materials." That matters when comparing programs, because the listed rate is meant to cover items that are often billed separately elsewhere.

For on-campus undergraduates, the bundle is described as including tuition, parking fees, academic resources, dining, housing, laundry, counseling services, student health, books, library access, and technology fees.

For online undergraduates, graduate students, and executive/doctoral students, the listed inclusions are tuition, technology fees, academic resources, library access, counseling services, fees, and books.

So the practical difference between the tiers is not just the dollar figure — it's the delivery format and what the rate is designed to cover. On-campus pricing reflects a residential experience; online, graduate, and executive pricing is credit-hour based and aimed at students paying per course.

How to use these numbers for budgeting

1. Identify your program type. On-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, graduate, and executive/doctoral each have a different rate.
2. Check whether your rate is annual or per credit hour. The on-campus figure is an annual bundled amount; the others are per credit hour.
3. Multiply by your credit load if you're online, graduate, or executive. For example, a 3-credit online undergraduate course at $220 per credit hour would be $660 before any other considerations.
4. Confirm your specific program. The graduate figure is labeled an average program cost, and doctoral pricing is listed separately at $749 per credit hour, so your exact program may differ from the headline number.

Where to verify before you commit

The figures above come from the university's published One Price Promise display, which also notes that students receive free textbooks as part of the promise and that more than 55 majors and pre-professional programs are available on-campus and online. Because rates can change and program-level costs can differ from averages, confirm the current number for your specific program with the university before making a budget decision.