More selective than 6% of Oklahoma colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,551. College Scorecard.
Higher than 46% of Oklahoma colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 44% of Oklahoma colleges we cover and 26% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
NSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,386 applicants, Northeastern State University admitted 1,375 and 666 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 866–1136 on the SAT or 18–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
NSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Oklahoma residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What NSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Northeastern State University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Oklahoma. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,598 | $48,115 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $9,827 | $44,615 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $12,612 | $57,258 | 4.4 years |
| $75–110k | $18,188 | $82,574 | 6.4 years |
| $110k+ | $19,511 | $88,580 | 6.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (21% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($45,379) minus $32,429 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OK (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,950 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
NSU majors, earnings & careers
Northeastern State University offers 58 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at NSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $96,702 | $26,542 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians | $69,276 | $21,189 |
| Computer Science | $67,854 | $23,374 |
| Accounting | $65,781 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration | $60,651 | $23,056 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $57,549 | $30,750 |
| Management Information Systems | $55,328 | — |
| Social Work | $54,943 | $30,785 |
Quick list of all 58 majors
- Accounting$65,781
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Area Studies—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biology$53,387
- Business Administration$60,651
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$50,981
- Chemistry—
- Communications$49,854
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer Science$67,854
- Criminal Justice$50,268
- Dietetics$54,484
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,116
- Education (Subject Teaching)$45,474
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$38,731
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$40,275
- Finance—
- Geography—
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History$47,608
- Homeland Security—
- Hospitality Management—
- International Business—
- Journalism$46,506
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,064
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$41,705
- Management Information Systems$55,328
- Marketing$54,577
- Mathematics$53,978
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$57,549
- Music—
- Nursing$96,702
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$39,474
- Psychology (Research)$46,102
- Public Health$48,057
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians$69,276
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Work$54,943
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$53,271
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Tahlequah
2 bedrooms $943.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Cherokee County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cherokee County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare NSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Oklahoma by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern State University | 100% | $12,710 | 35% | $45,379 | This school |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | 100% | $14,459 | 40% | $45,744 | |
| Southeastern Oklahoma State University | 76% | $8,039 | 32% | $45,079 | |
| East Central University | 58% | $8,683 | 34% | $44,962 | |
| Cameron University | — | $10,912 | 31% | $40,118 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northeastern State University would cost you $1,749 less per year than Southwestern Oklahoma State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Northeastern State University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$4,598).
- Southwestern Oklahoma State University gives aided families $34 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Oklahoma resident | NSU | SWOSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,810 | $8,469 | −$659 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,218 | −$218 |
| Housing & meals | $10,494 | $7,410 | +$3,084 |
| Personal & travel | $3,020 | $7,618 | −$4,598 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$773 | −$1,381 | +$608 |
| Sticker price | $21,551 | $23,334 | −$1,783 |
| Average grants | −$8,841 | −$8,875 | +$34 |
| You pay | $12,710 | $14,459 | −$1,749 |
“+” means NSU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about NSU
What is the NSU acceptance rate?
Northeastern State University accepts 100% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,375 of 1,386 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 866–1136 on the SAT or 18–23 on the ACT.
How much does Northeastern State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,551 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,710 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,598 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,511.
How much do NSU graduates earn?
Former Northeastern State University students earn a median $45,379 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the NSU graduation rate?
35% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 61% return for their second year.
How long does a NSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northeastern State University costs about $57,258 after grants ($12,612 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,379 ten years after starting, $12,950 more than high school graduates in Oklahoma ($32,429), so the cost is repaid in 4.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northeastern State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northeastern-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).