Northern Kentucky University Human Resources: earnings, debt & careers

Human Resources graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median $65,960 four years after graduating ($49,803 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $29,634. That is $2,158 below the U.S. median for Human Resources graduates ($68,118 across 170 colleges), and ranks 1st of 1 Kentucky colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$65,960

U.S. median for this major: $68,118.

College Scorecard field of study; 214 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$49,803

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$29,634

About 45% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,486.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$8,191 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $19,725. College Scorecard.

NKU Human Resources: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

NKU graduates$65,960

Fewer than 3 Kentucky colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.

U.S. median (170 colleges)$68,118 (−$2,158)

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.

Human Resources 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$2,603$11,375under 1 year
$30–48k$3,630$15,863under 1 year
$48–75k$6,761$29,546under 1 year
$75–110k$12,679$55,4071.7 years
$110k+$14,522$63,4612.0 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 Human Resources graduates 4 years after graduating ($65,960) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32,444 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.

Careers for Human Resources graduates

HR specialist

Cincinnati area$73,010
Kentucky$69,010
U.S.$75,940

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Training and Development Specialists

Cincinnati area$68,390
Kentucky$61,390
U.S.$69,280

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Compliance Officers

Cincinnati area$79,310
Kentucky$69,240
U.S.$80,730

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% 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

Related majors at NKU

NKU Human Resources questions

How much do NKU Human Resources graduates earn?

Human Resources graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median $65,960 four years after graduating and $49,803 one year after. The U.S. median for Human Resources graduates across 170 colleges is $68,118.

How much debt do NKU Human Resources graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Human Resources graduates of Northern Kentucky University is $29,634, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,486.

Where does NKU rank for Human Resources in Kentucky?

Of 1 Kentucky colleges reporting Human Resources graduate earnings, Northern Kentucky University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Human Resources graduates get?

A common career is hr specialist, with a median wage of $73,010 in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area and $75,940 nationally. Others include training and development specialists and compliance officers.

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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
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Cite this: “Northern Kentucky University Human Resources: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university/majors/human-resources (College Scorecard and BLS data).