U.S. median for this major: $77,992.
College Scorecard field of study; 80 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 37% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,250.
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 Finance: 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.
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 | 1.6 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 Finance graduates 4 years after graduating ($68,409) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $34,893 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.
Finance at Kentucky colleges
Every Kentucky college we cover that reports Finance 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 | Bellarmine University | $84,262 | — | $21,499 | 64% |
| 2 | University of Kentucky | $84,087 | $22,375 | $18,851 | 71% |
| 3 | University of Louisville | $75,089 | $22,500 | $17,988 | 61% |
| 4 | Western Kentucky University | $70,313 | $19,500 | $10,990 | 56% |
| 5 | Northern Kentucky University | $68,409 | $25,287 | $8,191 | 52% |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky University | $63,685 | $16,400 | $11,040 | 50% |
| 7 | Murray State University | $56,263 | $21,500 | $9,096 | 61% |
4 more Kentucky colleges offer Finance but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Finance graduates
Financial analyst
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
General and Operations Managers
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.
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
- Business Administration$67,319
- Accounting$69,610
- Business$67,174
- Human Resources$65,960
- Business Economics—
- Marketing$67,018
NKU Finance questions
How much do NKU Finance graduates earn?
Finance graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median $68,409 four years after graduating and $50,457 one year after. The U.S. median for Finance graduates across 438 colleges is $77,992.
How much debt do NKU Finance graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Finance graduates of Northern Kentucky University is $25,287, about 37% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,250.
Is NKU a good school for Finance in Kentucky?
On pay, Finance graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn $68,409 four years out, $1,904 below the median for the same major across 7 Kentucky colleges ($70,313) and $9,583 below the U.S. median ($77,992). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does NKU rank for Finance in Kentucky?
Of 7 Kentucky colleges reporting Finance graduate earnings, Northern Kentucky University ranks 5th. The highest is Bellarmine University at $84,262.
What jobs do Finance graduates get?
A common career is financial analyst, with a median wage of $86,040 in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area and $102,740 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and financial managers.
Is NKU the right fit for your family?
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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 Finance: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university/majors/finance (College Scorecard and BLS data).