The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky offers a variety of campus living and recreational options for students.
Greek-letter organizations There are more than fifty active fraternities and sororities at the University of Kentucky. The social fraternities and sororities have chapter houses.
Sororities In the fall of 2023, 27 percent of the University of Kentucky's undergraduate women belong to a social sorority. Following are the social sororities at the University of Kentucky.
Name Chapter name Chapter charter date and range Status Alpha Chi Omega Delta Omega 1966–1976, 2015 Active Alpha Delta Pi Beta Psi 1941 ActiveAlpha Delta ThetaBeta1922–1937Inactive Alpha Gamma Delta Epsilon 1908 Active Alpha Kappa Alpha Iota Sigma 1975 Active Alpha Omicron Pi Kappa Omega 1982–2019 Inactive Alpha Phi Iota Nu 2009 Active Alpha Xi Delta Xi 1908–2004 InactiveBeta Sigma OmicronAlpha Gamma1926–1932Inactive Ceres Nu 1997–20xx ? Inactive Chi Omega Lambda Alpha 1914 Active Delta Delta Delta Delta Rho 1923 Active Delta Gamma Delta Beta 1962 ActiveDelta Phi LambaActive Delta Phi Mu (local) 2008–201x ? Inactive Delta Sigma Theta Mu Epsilon 1975 Active Delta Zeta Alpha Zeta 1923–1942, 1945 Active Gamma Phi Beta Gamma Omicron 1966–1982, 2019 Active Kappa Alpha Theta Gamma Iota 1945 ActiveKappa Beta GammaAlpha Nu2017Active Kappa Delta Epsilon Omega 1910 Active Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Chi 1910 Active Phi Sigma Rho Epsilon 1999 Active Phi Sigma Sigma Beta Mu 1952–1957 Inactive Pi Beta Phi Kentucky Beta 1962 Active Phi Mu Rho Iota 2011 Active Sigma Gamma Rho Mu Omicron 1992 Active Sigma Kappa Theta Rho 1989–2010 InactiveSigma Lambda GammaOmicron Zeta2018ActiveSigma Phi LambdaAlpha Tau2018–2022Inactive Tau Beta Sigma Eta Zeta 1984 ActiveTheta Nu XiAlpha Omicron2016Active Zeta Phi Beta Iota Mu 1983 Active Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Chi 1924–1992 Inactive
Fraternities In the fall of 2023, eighteen percent of the University of Kentucky's undergraduate male students belong to a social fraternity. Following are the social fraternities at the University of Kentucky. Name Chapter name Chapter charter date and range Status Alpha Epsilon Pi Lambda Kappa 1972–1978 Inactive Alpha Gamma Rho Omicron1920 ActiveAlpha Lambda TauSigma1932–1935Inactive Alpha Phi Alpha 1965 Active Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Zeta 1933 Active Alpha Sigma Phi 1917–1960, 2017 Active Alpha Tau Omega 1909–2018 InactiveBeta Sigma Rho1949–1952Inactive Beta Theta Pi 1990–199x ?, 2013 ActiveBeta Upsilon Chi2014Active Chi Psi 2016 Active Delta Chi 1914–1954, 1978–1981Inactive Delta Sigma Phi 1994 Active Delta Tau Delta 1924 Active FarmHouse 1951–2021 InactiveIota Phi Theta2007Active Kappa Alpha Order 1893Active Kappa Alpha Psi 1981 Active Kappa Sigma 1901Active Lambda Chi Alpha 1930–2010Inactive Omega Psi Phi 1980 ActiveOmicron Alpha Tau1916–1918Inactive Phi Beta Sigma 1990 Active Phi Delta Theta 1901–1972, 1979–1994, 2004–2011, 2018Active Phi Gamma Delta 1958–1983, 1994 Active Phi Kappa Psi 1988–2016, 2025Active Phi Kappa Tau 1920–1990, 1996 Active Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia 1922Active Phi Sigma Kappa 1926 Active Pi Kappa Alpha 1901–2014, 2018 Active Pi Kappa Phi 1996–200x ?; 2010–2014, 2024 Active Pi Lambda Phi 1949Inactive Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1900–2020, 202x ?Active Sigma Alpha Mu 1915–1924Inactive Sigma Chi 1893ActiveSigma Lambda BetaChi Epsilon2016Active Sigma Nu 1902–1965, 1967–2012, 2016 Active Sigma Phi Epsilon 1933–1989, 1994–2009, 2015 Active Sigma Pi 1973–2011, 2917 Active Tau Kappa Epsilon 1951–199x ?Inactive Theta Chi 1968–1990, 2011 Active Triangle 1920–1983, 2005 Active Zeta Beta Tau 1942–1973 Inactive
Honor and recognition societies
Name Chapter name Chapter charter date and range StatusAlpha Alpha AlphaActive Alpha Psi Omega Alpha Zeta EpsilonInactiveKappa Kappa PsiEta ZetaActiveOmicron Delta KappaUniversity of Kentucky1925Active
Professional fraternities and sororities Name Chapter name Chapter charter date and range StatusBlock and Bridle1923ActiveDelta Sigma DeltaAlpha Xi2008ActiveKappa PsiUpsilon1909ActiveLambda Kappa SigmaAlpha Nu1958ActivePhi Alpha DeltaActivePhi Delta EpsilonKappa Psi1978ActiveSigma AlphaBeta Omicron2013ActiveSigma Alpha IotaDelta Omega1967Active
Hazing incidents After Thomas “Lofton” Hazelwood, an 18-year-old freshman at UK was killed in a hazing incident in October 2021, a report commissioned by the university pointed to an active tradition of hazing at the school, and a “deeply ingrained culture of alcohol” in Hazelwood's fraternity. Some fraternities forced members to eat and drink, others instituted personal servitude. Lofton's Law, making hazing a felony/misdemeanor in Kentucky, was passed in 2023.
Religion and life-philosophy Following are some of the religious organizations at the University of Kentucky.
Christianity Baptist Campus Ministries Catholic Newman Center Christian Student Fellowship Cru Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Orthodox Christian Fellowship Reformed University Fellowship Wesley Foundation Young Life
Islam Muslim Student Association
Judaism Chabad on Campus Hillel Foundation
Secular humanism and nontheism Secular Student Alliance
Campus recreation
The university has several campus recreational facilities. The Johnson Center features basketball courts, group fitness studios, racquetball courts, rock climbing walls, a running track, and weight lifting facilities. The Lancaster Aquatic Center, located next to the Johnson Center, opened in 1989. The Alumni Gym Fitness Center opened in 2018 and is a renovation of the historic Alumni Gymnasium, which was home to UK men's basketball from 1924 to 1950.
Residence halls In the fall of 2023, 34 percent of the students at the University of Kentucky lived in college-owned or affiliated housing, while 66 percent of student lived off campus. Following are residence halls at the University of Kentucky.
Name Location Opened date Notes Baldwin Hall Central Campus2005 Ball Hall Central Campus2014 Known as Woodland Glen II before 2020–21 Blazer Hall North Campus2014 Boyd Hall North Campus2016 Chellgren Hall Central Campus2015 Donovan Hall Central Campus2013 Haggin Hall Central Campus2014 Holmes Hall North Campus2016 Ingels Hall Central Campus2005 Jewell Hall North Campus2014 Lyman T. Johnson Hall Central Campus2013 Lewis Hall Central Campus2017Pigman HallCentral Campus2015 Roselle Hall North Campus2005 Smith Hall Central Campus2005 University Flats Central Campus2017Wildcat Coal LodgeNorth Campus2012Houses the men's basketball team Woodland Glen IV Central Campus2015Woodland Glen VCentral Campus2015Interprofessional Healthcare Residential College Community
Campus safety The university has had issues with safety on campus. In a survey of 1,000 female university students, conducted in the spring of 2004, 36.5% reported having been victims of rape, stalking, or physical assault while on campus. While campus law enforcement statistics do not match the survey results, campus officials have taken steps to increase safety.
In response to the survey, university president Lee T. Todd, Jr. launched an initiative in September 2005 titled the Campus Safety Imperative, which included a quadrupling of annual expenditures on safety. Todd specifically linked campus safety to the goal of becoming a top-20 public research institution, stating that "We will never make gains toward becoming a top-twenty public research institution if our students are unsafe or if they lack a sense of physical security. It is part of our fundamental mission, then, to create a campus that provides a safe place to live, to work, and to learn."
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