# Northern Kentucky University (NKU)

Public college in Highland Heights, KY. IPEDS ID 157447.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-kentucky-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/northern-kentucky-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 68% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $8,191 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 52%; beats 64% of KY colleges and 46% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $50,220; beats 73% of KY colleges and 41% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,159

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $2,603 |
| 30-48k | $3,630 |
| 48-75k | $6,761 |
| 75-110k | $12,679 |
| 110k+ | $14,522 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.37 years on average (35% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $50,220 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $19,725 in-state; about $30,549 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $11,088 in-state, $21,912 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,660; books: $800

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 473–590; SAT math: 480–560; ACT: 18–25 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 6,417 applicants, 6,162 admitted, 1,295 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 68%, ACT 18–25 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT 19–25 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (63 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $67,641 | $88,492 | $25,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $68,628 | $85,697 | $21,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $62,411 | $82,982 | $25,000 |
| Construction Management | $67,295 | $81,833 | $24,053 |
| Nursing | $68,649 | $77,404 | $31,000 |
| Health Sciences | $58,970 | $73,478 | $29,875 |
| Accounting | $52,425 | $69,610 | $23,750 |
| Finance | $50,457 | $68,409 | $25,287 |
| Business Administration | $44,564 | $67,319 | $20,500 |
| Business | $48,654 | $67,174 | $30,750 |
| Marketing | $45,386 | $67,018 | $22,387 |
| Human Resources | $49,803 | $65,960 | $29,634 |
| Chemistry | not reported | $65,038 | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $52,094 | $61,173 | $30,103 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $42,725 | $60,377 | $23,500 |
| Biology | $38,970 | $56,999 | $23,950 |
| Criminal Justice | $35,724 | $55,835 | $25,000 |
| Communications | $38,637 | $53,082 | $25,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | $52,703 | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | $50,668 | $23,250 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $37,602 | $50,322 | $28,750 |
| Information Science / Studies | $31,390 | $50,009 | $27,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $41,842 | $49,989 | $24,225 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $36,894 | $48,949 | $16,900 |
| History | $29,619 | $48,109 | $30,375 |
| Music | $34,428 | $47,343 | $27,357 |
| Psychology | $36,209 | $47,280 | $26,088 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $33,673 | $45,738 | $29,000 |
| Social Work | $37,037 | $44,914 | $28,906 |
| Journalism | $29,647 | $44,834 | $26,122 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | $44,561 | not reported |
| English | $31,926 | $44,385 | $24,585 |
| Special Education | $40,333 | $42,964 | $30,750 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $38,059 | $42,709 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $31,448 | $42,684 | $25,724 |
| International Relations | $21,915 | $41,730 | not reported |
| Theatre | $19,929 | $35,624 | $21,175 |
| Software and Media Applications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physiology | not reported | not reported | $21,500 |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Human Resources → HR specialist: median wage $73,010 (Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN), $69,010 (KY), $75,940 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $83,650 (Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN), $81,040 (KY), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).