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Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY · Public · Large suburb · NKU

Public institution in Highland Heights, KY · 8,065 undergraduates · 96% acceptance rate · $50,220 median earnings 10 years after entry.

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
$7,168174th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$10,896672nd cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$21,480942nd cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$19,471342nd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$23,000990th lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$50,2201,053rd highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,1051,082nd highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
48.3%1,216th highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
77.8%784th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
96.0%1,433rd most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
1114646th highest of 1,022 reporting
Median ACT
23493rd highest of 952 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates
8,065313th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
18.0:11,696th smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
23.5%1,523rd highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 228 mi (DTW)

On 2 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
Free
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 54 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Construction ManagementBusinessbachelors$63,997$63,005
Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technologybachelors$61,888$67,420
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professionsbachelors$55,988$55,301
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Sciencebachelors$55,102$59,071
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralHealth Professionsbachelors$55,026$54,653
Management Information Systems and ServicesBusinessbachelors$54,635$56,867
Accounting and Related ServicesBusinessbachelors$51,106$51,781
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusinessbachelors$47,930$49,158
MathematicsMathematics & Statisticsbachelors$47,260$46,478
Business/Commerce, GeneralBusinessbachelors$46,869$44,170
Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitnessbachelors$46,673$39,729
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusinessbachelors$46,193$42,682

Campus facts

Athletics — 10 sports

NCAA Division I without football · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,281,933 (M $1,204,156 · W $2,077,777)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Northern Kentucky University’s 8,065 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In KY

Elsewhere