The Central University of Kentucky was a former American private college that was associated with the Southern Synod of the Presbyterian Church.

[1][2] Central University was created an alternative and rival to Centre College which was established by the Presbyterian Church of Kentucky before the Civil War and was operated by the Northern Synod after the determination of a federal court case in 1871.

[3] Initially, the university was managed by a Board of Curators who were appointed by the Alumni Association of Centre College, established by the Southern Synod in 1872.

[3] This support was needed because the university's enrollment dropped yearly with its largest class of only 25 graduates.

[1] The university had commitments for an endowment of $220,000, contributed by people from Richmond and Madison County, Kentucky and Centre College alumni who supported the Southern Synod.

[1] Beset with financial difficulties and small enrollment, the university consolidated with Centre College in Danville, Kentucky on July 16, 1901.

[2][1] The merged institution was called Central University of Kentucky and was located in Danville on the Centre Colleges' campus.

[7] Undergraduate majors for the 1890–91 academic year included the Bible and Christian Evidences, Chemistry, Commercial Science, English Language and Literature, Geology, Greek, History and Political Science, Latin, Mathematics and Astronomy, Modern Languages (French and German), Philosophy, Physics, and Physiology.