Louisville is a highly accessible, regional talent magnet that capitalizes on its central location, high quality of life and low cost of living.
Special Initiatives
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Code Louisville
Code Louisville, a national best-practice, is a public-private partnership program aimed at training software developers to bolster technological innovation in the region. More than 1,000 participants have graduated from the program, involving in-person mentorships with experienced industry professionals and includes an online learning curriculum.
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SummerWorks
SummerWorks develops Louisville’s young talent by helping prepare and connect youth to summer jobs, career opportunities and supportive networks. In 2018, SummerWorks staff directly placed more than 1,000 teens and young adults in jobs, and 6,200 youth overall were employed by the program’s partner employers. Louisville-based employers are able to participate in the program.
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Bit502
KentuckianaWorks and Jefferson Community & Technical College worked to develop an apprentice-style program focused on IT education. Students in bit502 work four days at a local employer and go to school one day a week to earn their associate degree debt free; examples of local employer partners include Texas Roadhouse and Waystar.
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Live In Lou
Live In Lou is our region’s comprehensive talent attraction initiative, which helps new and prospective residents find places to live, work and learn, while highlighting the many amenities Louisville has to offer. Prospective movers can even connect with Louisvillians around personal interests through the City Champs initiative!
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Evolve502
Evolve502 is a community-focused organization in Louisville investing in and creating educational opportunities for our city’s youth. The program provides scholarships and access to community resources to help prepare students for college, career, and successful, productive lives. Graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools are able to attend JCTC tuition free.
K-12 Education in Louisville
The Louisville Metro area has a diverse system of K-12 education providers to meet the needs of any family.
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With nearly 100,000 students, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is one of the largest and most diverse public school systems in the United States. Across its 168 schools, more than 139 languages are spoken by JCPS students. At the high school level, students have the ability to participate in the Academies of Louisville, which offers a new educational experience, shifting from traditional techniques to personalized career-themed learning communities.
The Academies of Louisville launched in the fall of 2017 with a mission to evolve public high school education by equipping students with the skills and 21st-century know-how needed to thrive in an ever-changing global economy.
By connecting high schools to business and community partners, the Academy model aligns education and workforce development needs to better prepare students for postsecondary and career success. Academy students will graduate not only with a diploma but also with college credits, industry certifications, real work experience, and a backpack full of success skills.
Beyond graduating college-, career-, and transition-ready, students will have a head start on life in the real world. Believing deeply in educational equity for all, this initiative prepares, inspires, and empowers all Academy students to reach their highest potential. No tuition or application is required.
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In addition to the numerous public school systems across the Louisville Metro area, there are dozens of private school options. The Archdiocese of Louisville, which operates a system of private schools around the region, and other independent private schools exist as alternative options to public education.
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Just across the Ohio River you'll find a network of cities and towns in Southern Indiana spread across Clark and Floyd counties. Public school systems in Southern Indiana include Greater Clark County Schools, Clarksville Community Schools, and New Albany Floyd County Schools.
Louisville Area Higher Education Institutions
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Jefferson Community & Technical College
Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC) is part of the Kentucky Community & Technical College system and is the largest community college in Kentucky with more than 10,000 students.
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Ivy Tech Community College - Sellersburg
Ivy Tech Sellersburg is located just 10 miles north of Downtown Louisville off I-65. This comprehensive community college is part of the Indiana’s Ivy Tech Community College system, the largest community college in the United States.
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Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is a small liberal arts college located between Louisville’s Audubon Park and Highlands neighborhoods. With over 3,800 students, 98% of Bellarmine graduates are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation, and 97% of graduates are working in their chosen field.
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University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is the region’s comprehensive R-1 research institution. UofL has an enrollment of over 23,000 students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs spread across its two campuses, the Belknap Campus - UofL’s main residential campus three miles South of Downtown, its Health Sciences Campus - located in Downtown’s LOUMED District.
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Galen College of Nursing
Galen College of Nursing is a nationwide accredited higher education institution that exclusively focuses on the nursing and healthcare professions. The Louisville campus is located in eastern Jefferson County along I-264.
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Simmons College of Kentucky
Founded in 1879, Simmons College of Kentucky is the Louisville area’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The growing institution is locate in the Historic Old Louisville neighborhood just south of Downtown.
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Spalding University
Spalding University is a private liberal arts college located in Downtown Louisville. The institution has a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs ranging from creative writing and education to business administration and physical therapy.
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Sullivan University
Sullivan University is a private college with multiple campuses around the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Louisville campus has degree programs ranging from nursing and pharmacy to hospitality studies and business administration.
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Campbellsville University
Campbellsville University (CU) is a private university located in Campbellsville, KY that has a satellite education center in Louisville. CU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs from its Louisville campus along with industry-relevant certificates.
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Indiana University Southeast
Indiana University’s Southeast campus is located across the Ohio River in New Albany, IN. The campus boasts more than 150 undergraduate and 50-plus gradaute degree programs on a residential campus, including numerous online programs.
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Purdue Polytechnic Institute
At the strategic crossroads of the I-265 and Charlestown Road interchange, Purdue Polytechnic New Albany is a bastion of technological education in Southeast Indiana. The state-of-the-art facility, the Purdue Technology Center, stands as a testament to hands-on learning and industry-relevant education.
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Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University Louisville Education and Conference Center is centrally located at Exit 17 off of I-64 (Blankenbaker exit). The center is 20 minutes from downtown Louisville in Jefferson County.