Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky · Also known as NKU · Website
$50,220
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$50,220
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Northern Kentucky University is a public 4-year college in Highland Heights, Kentucky with 8,246 undergraduates and 5,184 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $8,191 a year (tuition and fees $11,088 in-state, $21,912 out-of-state). It admits 68% of applicants and 52% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $50,220 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$8,191
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$11,088
Out-of-state $21,912
Admission rate
68%
US median 78%
Completion rate
52%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,000
About $244 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$50,220
Rank 1,457 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
- $8,191
- Tuition in-state
- $11,088
- Tuition out-of-state
- $21,912
- Cost of attendance
- $19,725
- Students with a need-based grant
- 25%
- Students with federal loans
- 31%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $2,603
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $3,630
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $6,761
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $12,679
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $14,522
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 $9,120 in 2015-16 to $11,088 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
- 68%
- Average SAT
- 1,087
- SAT reading, middle
- 535
- SAT math, middle
- 562
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 8,246
- Graduate students
- 5,184
- Part-time students
- 18%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Retention rate
- 76%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 120
- Endowment
- $138.6M
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 1,457 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 70 in Kentucky (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KY median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $8,191 | $16,512 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $11,088 | $11,652 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 68% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 52% | 53% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 76% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,000 | $13,521 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $42,105 | $31,816 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $50,220 | $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. 55% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
120 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 662 | $40,975 | $101,465 | $111,560 | $120,193 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 353 | $29,830 | $77,876 | $94,965 | $125,988 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 341 | $19,500 | $44,564 | $67,319 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 231 | $23,050 | $68,649 | $77,404 | $88,910 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 139 | $22,925 | $62,411 | $82,982 | $92,374 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 131 | $23,457 | $38,059 | $42,709 | $47,382 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 113 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineProfessional | Professional | 105 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 102 | $101,097 | $47,291 | $74,937 | $107,773 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 92 | $24,500 | $36,209 | $47,280 | $50,706 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 90 | $32,038 | $47,684 | $55,285 | $65,123 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 78 | $18,750 | $58,970 | $73,478 | $61,296 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $20,852 | $38,970 | $56,999 | $57,214 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $24,412 | $37,037 | $44,914 | $51,790 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $22,100 | $37,602 | $50,322 | $53,072 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $22,812 | $35,724 | $55,835 | $55,378 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $25,000 | $49,803 | $65,960 | $68,069 |
| HistoryOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $24,484 | $29,619 | $48,109 | $50,680 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 52 | $22,431 | $38,637 | $53,082 | $56,359 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $27,250 | $52,094 | $61,173 | $70,786 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $18,057 | $19,929 | $35,624 | $39,775 |
| JournalismBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $25,417 | $29,647 | $44,834 | $56,278 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 47 | $24,400 | $44,388 | $49,961 | $59,916 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 44 | $18,625 | $34,541 | $40,516 | $44,125 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $24,883 | $31,448 | $42,684 | $41,367 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Kentucky on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kentucky
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kentucky
Questions and answers
How much does Northern Kentucky University cost?
$8,191 a year is the average net price at Northern Kentucky University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $11,088 for in-state students and $21,912 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,725. Families earning under $30,000 pay $2,603 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Northern Kentucky University?
68% of applicants are admitted to Northern Kentucky University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,087 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in Kentucky is 81%.
How much do Northern Kentucky University graduates earn?
$50,220 a year is the median pay of former Northern Kentucky University students who work, 10 years after they started ($42,105 after 6 years). That ranks 1,457 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 70 in Kentucky. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral) at $138,264.
How much student debt do Northern Kentucky University graduates have?
$23,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Northern Kentucky University graduates, about $244 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 31% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Northern Kentucky University?
52% of first-time, full-time students at Northern Kentucky University finish within 6 years. 76% 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 Northern Kentucky University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (662 master's graduates), Business/Commerce, General (353 master's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (341 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 120 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.