Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky · Also known as Eastern EKU · Website
$45,795
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,795
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Eastern Kentucky University is a public 4-year college in Richmond, Kentucky with 12,318 undergraduates and 2,225 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $11,040 a year (tuition and fees $10,320 in-state, $21,230 out-of-state). It admits 78% of applicants and 50% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $45,795 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,040
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$10,320
Out-of-state $21,230
Admission rate
78%
US median 78%
Completion rate
50%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,500
About $239 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,795
Rank 1,906 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $11,040
- Tuition in-state
- $10,320
- Tuition out-of-state
- $21,230
- Cost of attendance
- $23,735
- Students with a need-based grant
- 41%
- Students with federal loans
- 41%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,591
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,005
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,382
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,384
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,009
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $8,150 in 2015-16 to $10,320 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1,149
- SAT reading, middle
- 535
- SAT math, middle
- 530
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 12,318
- Graduate students
- 2,225
- Part-time students
- 14%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Retention rate
- 77%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 150
- Endowment
- $97.8M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,906 of 5,094 US colleges and 15 of 70 in Kentucky (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KY median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,040 | $16,512 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $10,320 | $11,652 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 78% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 50% | 53% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 77% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,500 | $13,521 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,611 | $31,816 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,795 | $36,235 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 48% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 67% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
150 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 262 | $22,985 | $28,273 | $41,384 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 170 | $20,238 | $31,548 | $47,882 | $55,378 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 163 | $20,472 | $35,958 | $43,352 | $53,072 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 118 | $22,312 | $68,633 | $83,920 | $88,910 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 107 | $54,949 | $104,754 | $119,778 | $120,193 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 101 | $30,849 | $71,240 | $92,289 | $86,525 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, OtherMaster's | Master's | 89 | $30,616 | $73,507 | $99,631 | $95,461 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 87 | $23,327 | $25,672 | $48,327 | $57,214 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 80 | $24,931 | $37,366 | $38,951 | $47,382 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 78 | $28,284 | $33,575 | $46,705 | $51,790 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $25,300 | $29,632 | $51,386 | $54,562 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 74 | $41,000 | $62,464 | $72,321 | $71,416 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $26,500 | $41,502 | $57,724 | $68,407 |
| Fire ProtectionBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $27,000 | $66,617 | $80,497 | $86,436 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $15,950 | Withheld | $66,530 | $55,792 |
| Air TransportationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $23,781 | $35,625 | $66,943 | $85,825 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $21,500 | $40,726 | $59,609 | $76,194 |
| Homeland SecurityBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $26,979 | $38,307 | $67,096 | $70,193 |
| Special Education and TeachingMaster's | Master's | 45 | $36,500 | $44,070 | $45,142 | $64,397 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $21,500 | $43,055 | $68,249 | $68,257 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $22,375 | $35,612 | $51,086 | $58,808 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 40 | $12,000 | $26,504 | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Psychology, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $64,711 |
| Public AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 38 | $35,323 | $54,235 | $59,419 | $81,408 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 37 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,307 | $65,184 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Richmond and Kentucky on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kentucky
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kentucky
Questions and answers
How much does Eastern Kentucky University cost?
$11,040 a year is the average net price at Eastern Kentucky University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $10,320 for in-state students and $21,230 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $23,735. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,591 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Eastern Kentucky University?
78% of applicants are admitted to Eastern Kentucky University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,149 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in Kentucky is 81%.
How much do Eastern Kentucky University graduates earn?
$45,795 a year is the median pay of former Eastern Kentucky University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,611 after 6 years). That ranks 1,906 of 5,094 US colleges and 15 of 70 in Kentucky. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $104,754.
How much student debt do Eastern Kentucky University graduates have?
$22,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Eastern Kentucky University graduates, about $239 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 41% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Eastern Kentucky University?
50% of first-time, full-time students at Eastern Kentucky University finish within 6 years. 77% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Eastern Kentucky University?
Psychology, General (262 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (170 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (163 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 150 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.