U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 95 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 34% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $19,725. College Scorecard.
NKU Accounting: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses NKU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| 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 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,679 | $55,407 | 1.5 years |
| $110k+ | $14,522 | $63,461 | 1.8 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 Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($69,610) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $36,094 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Accounting at Kentucky colleges
Every Kentucky college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky | $85,777 | $23,250 | $18,851 | 71% |
| 2 | Thomas More University | $75,682 | $27,000 | $21,835 | 41% |
| 3 | University of Louisville | $74,924 | $19,374 | $17,988 | 61% |
| 4 | Western Kentucky University | $71,274 | $25,000 | $10,990 | 56% |
| 5 | Transylvania University | $70,822 | $27,000 | $21,913 | 71% |
| 6 | Northern Kentucky University | $69,610 | $23,750 | $8,191 | 52% |
| 7 | Spalding University | $65,288 | $31,000 | $25,491 | 52% |
| 8 | Murray State University | $64,269 | $18,750 | $9,096 | 61% |
| 9 | Eastern Kentucky University | $59,609 | $27,000 | $11,040 | 50% |
| 10 | Morehead State University | $50,125 | $27,440 | $9,793 | 52% |
11 more Kentucky colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at NKU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About NKU
- Acceptance rate: 68% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 52% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $50,220
- Full cost breakdown · all 63 majors · overview
Related majors at NKU
- Finance$68,409
- Business Administration$67,319
- Business$67,174
- Business Economics—
- Marketing$67,018
- Economics—
NKU Accounting questions
How much do NKU Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median $69,610 four years after graduating and $52,425 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do NKU Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of Northern Kentucky University is $23,750, about 34% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is NKU a good school for Accounting in Kentucky?
On pay, Accounting graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn $69,610 four years out, $606 below the median for the same major across 10 Kentucky colleges ($70,216) and $4,763 below the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does NKU rank for Accounting in Kentucky?
Of 10 Kentucky colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, Northern Kentucky University ranks 6th. The highest is University of Kentucky at $85,777.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $80,640 in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Northern Kentucky University Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).