U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 191 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 40% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
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 Nursing: 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 | 1.3 years |
| $110k+ | $14,522 | $63,461 | 1.4 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 Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($77,404) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $43,888 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.
Nursing at Kentucky colleges
Every Kentucky college we cover that reports Nursing 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 | Kentucky Christian University | $96,766 | $27,750 | $24,038 | 37% |
| 2 | University of the Cumberlands | $94,183 | $29,400 | $14,107 | 50% |
| 3 | Union Commonwealth University | $87,221 | $27,830 | $21,311 | 32% |
| 4 | Morehead State University | $85,740 | $29,000 | $9,793 | 52% |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky University | $83,920 | $27,370 | $11,040 | 50% |
| 6 | Bellarmine University | $82,814 | $30,800 | $21,499 | 64% |
| 7 | Thomas More University | $82,426 | $28,000 | $21,835 | 41% |
| 8 | University of Kentucky | $81,941 | $27,000 | $18,851 | 71% |
| 9 | Campbellsville University | $79,651 | $28,500 | $19,341 | 42% |
| 10 | University of Louisville | $78,902 | $23,205 | $17,988 | 61% |
| 11 | Spalding University | $77,983 | $30,750 | $25,491 | 52% |
| 12 | Northern Kentucky University | $77,404 | $31,000 | $8,191 | 52% |
| 13 | Western Kentucky University | $73,496 | $26,330 | $10,990 | 56% |
| 14 | Murray State University | $72,462 | $25,082 | $9,096 | 61% |
| 15 | Lindsey Wilson College | $69,656 | $23,000 | $15,070 | 44% |
4 more Kentucky colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Nursing graduates
Registered nurse
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% 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
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$61,173
- Health Sciences$73,478
NKU Nursing questions
How much do NKU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median $77,404 four years after graduating and $68,649 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do NKU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Northern Kentucky University is $31,000, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is NKU a good school for Nursing in Kentucky?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn $77,404 four years out, $4,537 below the median for the same major across 15 Kentucky colleges ($81,941) and $7,808 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does NKU rank for Nursing in Kentucky?
Of 15 Kentucky colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Northern Kentucky University ranks 12th. The highest is Kentucky Christian University at $96,766.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $83,650 in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
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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 Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).