Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK · Public · Town (remote) · NSU
Public institution in Tahlequah, OK · 4,636 undergraduates · 99% acceptance rate · $45,379 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 16%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 17%Cost of attendance
- Top 22%Average net price
- Top 23%Median graduate debt
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $11,800441st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $7,513322nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $16,633646th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $19,274328th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $17,367423rd lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,3791,340th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $41,2071,147th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 37.2%1,593rd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 62.8%1,525th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 99.2%1,538th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1050827th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 20800th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 4,636520th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 42.4%614th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 238 mi (DAL)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- RDJul 29
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $25
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 51 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $59,485 | $69,338 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $57,318 | $52,107 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $52,107 | $60,298 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $50,856 | $50,439 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $48,600 | $39,639 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $45,529 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $44,765 | $49,370 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $43,798 | $43,426 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $42,123 | $34,942 |
| History | bachelors | $37,424 | — |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $36,848 | $38,289 |
| Public HealthHealth Professions | bachelors | $36,848 | $36,668 |
Campus facts
- A Native American Non-Tribal Institutionsource
- Founded in 1851source
- Athletic nickname: "RiverHawks"source
- Doc Wadley Stadium seats about 12,500source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Graysource
- Mascot: Rowdy the RiverHawksource
- Motto: "(Cherokee)"source
- Campus size: about 200 acressource
- Formerly known as "Northeastern State Normal School" (1909–1921)source
- Formerly known as "Northeastern State Teachers College" (1921–1939)source
- Formerly known as "Northeastern State College" (1939–1974)source
- Formerly known as "Northeastern Oklahoma State University" (1974–1985)source
- Athletic conference: The MIAAsource
- Plays for the "President's Cup" (since 1912)source
- Fight song: ""Northeastern, Northeastern""source
- Notable alum: Carrie Underwoodsource
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $2,339,047 (M $1,634,997 · W $704,050)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitensuok.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 207263)
- Compare colleges in OKRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in OklahomaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Northeastern State University vs Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.