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.
- Top 9%Average net price
- Top 14%Undergraduates
- Top 17%Cost of attendance
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 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,896674th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $21,480950th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $19,471342nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,000997th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $50,2201,058th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $42,1051,086th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 48.3%1,228th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 77.8%790th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 96.0%1,445th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1114648th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23494th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 8,065313th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 23.5%1,538th highest of 2,140 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
- RDJul 28
- 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.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $63,997 | $63,005 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $61,888 | $67,420 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $55,988 | $55,301 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $55,102 | $59,071 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralHealth Professions | bachelors | $55,026 | $54,653 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $54,635 | $56,867 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $51,106 | $51,781 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $47,930 | $49,158 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $47,260 | $46,478 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBusiness | bachelors | $46,869 | $44,170 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $46,673 | $39,729 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $46,193 | $42,682 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1968source
- Athletic nickname: "Norse"source
- Truist Arena seats about 9,400source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Gold and Blacksource
- Mascot: Victor E. Vikingsource
- Formerly known as "Northern Kentucky State College" (1968–1976)source
- Athletic conference: Horizon Leaguesource
- A SOCHE]] / [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Fight song: ""Onward Ye Norsemen""source
- Notable alum: George Clooneysource
- Notable alum: Steve Zahnsource
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)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Golf
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Basketball: 2008
- Soccer: 2010
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitenku.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 157447)
- Compare colleges in KYRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in KentuckyEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Northern Kentucky University vs Murray State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 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.