More selective than 72% of Kentucky colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $19,725. College Scorecard.
Higher than 64% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 73% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
NKU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,417 applicants, Northern Kentucky University admitted 6,162 and 1,295 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 953–1150 on the SAT or 18–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
NKU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Kentucky 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 NKU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Northern Kentucky University took 4.4 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 Kentucky. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $2,603 | $11,375 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $3,630 | $15,863 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $6,761 | $29,546 | 1.8 years |
| $75–110k | $12,679 | $55,407 | 3.3 years |
| $110k+ | $14,522 | $63,461 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (35% 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 ($50,220) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,704 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.
NKU majors, earnings & careers
Northern Kentucky University offers 63 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
Highest-earning majors at NKU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $88,492 | $25,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $85,697 | $21,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $82,982 | $25,000 |
| Construction Management | $81,833 | $24,053 |
| Nursing | $77,404 | $31,000 |
| Health Sciences | $73,478 | $29,875 |
| Accounting | $69,610 | $23,750 |
| Finance | $68,409 | $25,287 |
Quick list of all 63 majors
- Accounting$69,610
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$61,173
- Anthropology—
- Biology$56,999
- Business$67,174
- Business Administration$67,319
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry$65,038
- Communications$53,082
- Computer and Information Sciences$82,982
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other—
- Construction Management$81,833
- Criminal Justice$55,835
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,709
- Education (Subject Teaching)$45,738
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$44,385
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$48,949
- Finance$68,409
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$52,703
- Health Sciences$73,478
- History$48,109
- Human Resources$65,960
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$88,492
- Information Science / Studies$50,009
- Information Technology—
- International Relations$41,730
- Journalism$44,834
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$60,377
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,322
- Management Information Systems$85,697
- Marketing$67,018
- Mathematics—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music$47,343
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$77,404
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$50,668
- Psychology$47,280
- Public Relations and Advertising$49,989
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$44,914
- Sociology—
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$44,561
- Special Education$42,964
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$42,684
- Theatre$35,624
— 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 →Human Resources → HR specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Cincinnati
Overall prices in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,442. Housing costs 12% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 23 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Campbell County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Campbell County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare NKU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky University | 68% | $8,191 | 52% | $50,220 | This school |
| Morehead State University | 77% | $9,793 | 52% | $43,197 | |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 78% | $11,040 | 50% | $45,795 | |
| Murray State University | 86% | $9,096 | 61% | $44,737 | |
| University of Louisville | 79% | $17,988 | 61% | $53,899 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northern Kentucky University would cost you $1,602 less per year than Morehead State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Northern Kentucky University, mostly from more Northern Kentucky University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$5,944).
- Morehead State University gives aided families $634 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kentucky resident | NKU | Morehead State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,088 | $10,024 | +$1,064 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $480 | +$320 |
| Housing & meals | $11,660 | $8,942 | +$2,718 |
| Personal & travel | $2,500 | $2,894 | −$394 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,323 | −$379 | −$5,944 |
| Sticker price | $19,725 | $21,961 | −$2,236 |
| Average grants | −$11,534 | −$12,168 | +$634 |
| You pay | $8,191 | $9,793 | −$1,602 |
“+” means NKU 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 NKU
What is the NKU acceptance rate?
Northern Kentucky University accepts 68% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,162 of 6,417 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 953–1150 on the SAT or 18–25 on the ACT.
How much does Northern Kentucky University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,725 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,191 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $2,603 and families earning $110k+ pay $14,522.
How much do NKU graduates earn?
Former Northern Kentucky University students earn a median $50,220 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the NKU graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a NKU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northern Kentucky University costs about $29,546 after grants ($6,761 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $50,220 ten years after starting, $16,704 more than high school graduates in Kentucky ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 1.8 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: “Northern Kentucky University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).