What Makes a College a Good Fit for Rural Students?

University of the Cumberlands knows something about serving rural students.

Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, a rural Appalachian community, Cumberlands has been educating students in the region since 1888. Today, the university continues to serve students from Appalachia while providing educational opportunities both on its Williamsburg campus and online.

Dr. Trey Jarboe was one of those students.

When Jarboe first enrolled at Cumberlands, he wasn't thinking about earning a doctorate someday or becoming a university leader. He was simply looking for an educational experience close to home.

He knew education could open doors, but moving away did not feel like the right choice.

Fortunately, Cumberlands was just a few minutes down the road.

“When I came to Cumberlands, I was not ready to leave home,” he said. “Having a strong university that was close by gave me an opportunity I am not sure I would have had otherwise.”

Years later, after earning three degrees from the university, Jarboe became Cumberlands' executive vice president for student experience.

His experience speaks to a question many students from rural communities face: How do you find a college that will prepare you for your future without requiring you to leave behind the people and places that matter to you?

For rural students considering their college options, Jarboe believes there are a few things worth looking for.

1. Look for a College That Expands Your Possibilities

The right college should do more than prepare students to earn a degree. It should have faculty and staff who recognize their potential and encourage them to keep growing.

Jarboe found that at Cumberlands.

“I encountered professors and administrators who saw more potential in me than I saw in myself,” he said. “They believed in me, invested in me, and gave me opportunities to grow. I will always be grateful that they truly saw me and helped me recognize what I was capable of accomplishing.”

That encouragement changed what Jarboe believed was possible.

“Cumberlands opened doors for me. When I first enrolled, I did not imagine that I would one day earn a doctorate,” he said. “But each time a door opened, and a new opportunity presented itself, I kept walking through it. My education expanded not only my opportunities, but also my understanding of what was possible for my life.”

For rural students comparing colleges, that kind of environment is worth considering. Look beyond the list of available majors and ask who will be teaching, advising, and supporting you. A college should prepare you for your next step while also challenging you to consider possibilities you may not have imagined yet.

2. Look for a College That Will Help You Navigate the Journey

College can be difficult to navigate alone, especially for students who are the first in their families to attend.

For Jarboe, student support at Cumberlands isn't an abstract idea. It's personal.

“Cumberlands cares, and I believe that is what makes this university so special,” he said. “Our faculty and staff genuinely care about the success of our students.”

Now, as executive vice president for student experience, Jarboe is part of the effort to continuously improve the Cumberlands' experience for today's students.

“At Cumberlands, we walk alongside our students,” he said. “We help them navigate challenges, remove unnecessary barriers, and continue moving toward graduation.”

That approach recently received national recognition. Washington Monthly ranked University of the Cumberlands No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in Kentucky among its Best Colleges for Rural America. In its coverage of the ranking, the magazine specifically highlighted Cumberlands' approach to student support and reported that the university has the third-highest graduation rate among the top 10 institutions on the list.

Washington Monthly also highlighted Cumberlands' student success coordinators. Students studying on campus or in online bachelor's programs are assigned a success coordinator who can help them navigate challenges and connect with resources across the university.

But support at Cumberlands extends beyond one person or program.

“I've heard people say that college students are adults and should not need a great deal of support,” Jarboe said. “I do not believe that reflects the reality of our students' lives, especially for rural and first-generation students who may be navigating higher education without a roadmap. Every person experiences moments or seasons when they need someone to offer guidance, encouragement, or extra support.”

Jarboe remembers needing that support himself. It's one reason he wants today's students to find it, too.

“When I meet students whose backgrounds remind me of my own, my hope is that Cumberlands can do the same for them as it did for me,” he said. “I hope we can open doors, help them see possibilities they may not yet see for themselves, and give them the education, encouragement, and support to keep moving forward.”

3. Consider What Affordability Really Means for Your Future

The price of college matters, but rural students should consider more than the advertised tuition rate. They should look at what they will actually pay, what financial aid is available, what additional expenses they will face, and how much debt they may carry after graduation.

At Cumberlands, keeping college affordable has long been a priority.

Through the One Price Promise, Cumberlands makes college costs more transparent by including tuition, textbooks and course materials, and essential fees in one rate.

Cumberlands Commitment uses a combination of scholarships and zero-interest, forgivable loans to ensure main campus undergraduate students pay, on average, no more than $4,000 per year.

Those efforts have produced tangible results. During the 2025-26 academic year, one in four main campus undergraduate students at Cumberlands graduated debt-free.

Affordability is also one of the measures behind Cumberlands' No. 4 Best Colleges for Rural America ranking. Washington Monthly considered factors including net price and student loan debt when evaluating rural colleges.

“To me, the Washington Monthly ranking is evidence that Cumberlands is fulfilling its mission,” Jarboe said. “We are providing a high-quality education that is both affordable and accessible, and we are using that education to transform lives.”

For students thinking about college, affordability isn't only about what education costs today. The financial decisions they make while earning a degree can affect the choices available to them after graduation.

4. Ask Whether College Can Prepare You for the Life You Actually Want

For some students from rural communities, success means leaving home and pursuing opportunities somewhere new.

For others, it means staying. Or leaving for a while and eventually coming back.

One path isn't more successful than the other.

“For our students, success should not be defined only by whether they leave the region,” Jarboe said. “Success can also mean staying, returning, leading, teaching, starting a business, caring for others, and helping a community thrive.”

That's an important consideration when choosing a college. Students should ask whether a university can prepare them not just for a career, but for the kind of life they hope to build.

Cumberlands offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs designed to prepare students for opportunities both within and beyond the region. Students can study on campus in Williamsburg, while online programs allow others to continue their education from where they already live and work.

“Historically, students in our area had fewer educational and career pathways available close to home,” Jarboe said. “Today, Cumberlands offers a broad range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Those opportunities allow more people to prepare for meaningful careers, provide for their families, and contribute to the communities that helped shape them.”

For Jarboe, education should expand a student's choices, not determine where a successful life has to happen.

“Cumberlands can help students build successful lives without requiring them to disconnect from the people and places they call home,” he said. “Some students come to campus and later return to serve their communities. Others are able to remain in their communities while earning a degree online. In either case, we are creating pathways that allow students to advance professionally while maintaining their connections to Appalachia.”

Trey Jarboe did not have to leave Whitley County behind for his education to change his life. Instead, his education changed what he believed was possible for his life.

That's ultimately what rural students should look for in a college: not a place that defines success for them, but one that gives them the education, support, and opportunity to decide what success will look like for themselves.

For some, that journey will take them far from home. For others, it will lead them right back to where they started, with new knowledge, new opportunities, and new ways to serve the people and places that helped shape them.

At Cumberlands, both paths are worth pursuing.