Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY · Public · Graduate degree-granting
A public institution in Highland Heights, Kentucky, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, Northern Kentucky University serves students across multiple degree programs. With 8,246 students, it is a mid-size institution. Graduates earn a median of $50,220 ten years after enrollment, which is 23% above the national median of $40,747. The graduation rate is 50.2%. On the financial side, median graduate debt is $23,000, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 2.18x. The average net price after financial aid is $8,191 per year. The most popular programs include Registered Nursing, Business, Business Administration & Management, Computer & Information Sciences, and Teacher Education.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,220
Graduation Rate
50.2%
Median Debt
$23,000
Average Net Price
$8,191
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
1.53x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
2.18x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
8,246
Admission Rate
67.7%
Average SAT
1087
Retention Rate
75.5%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$11,088
Out-of-State Tuition
$21,912
Pell Grant Rate
25.2%
Federal Loan Rate
30.9%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$2,603
Income $30K–$48K
$3,630
Income $48K–$75K
$6,761
Income $110K+
$14,522
Student Demographics
Women
58.6%
White
74.6%
Black
8.1%
Hispanic
5.1%
Asian
1.9%
Two or More Races
4.0%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
54.6%
Accreditations
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program, Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program, Nursing (CLNUR) - Clinical Doctorate (Accredited)
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education — Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree (Preaccredited)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels, Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels, Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels (Accredited)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs — Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels (Accredited)
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology — Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers, Radiologic Technology (RADTT) - Programs for radiation therapists (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation — Music (MUS) (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (102)
Bachelor (57)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $67,319 | 341 |
| Registered Nursing | $77,404 | 231 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | $82,982 | 139 |
| Teacher Education | $42,709 | 131 |
| Psychology | $47,280 | 92 |
| Health Services | $73,478 | 78 |
| Biology | $56,999 | 68 |
| Social Work | $44,914 | 67 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $50,322 | 65 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | $55,835 | 57 |
| Human Resources Management | $65,960 | 57 |
| History | $48,109 | 57 |
| Communications | $53,082 | 52 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | $61,173 | 50 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | $35,624 | 48 |
| Journalism | $44,834 | 47 |
| Fine Arts | $42,684 | 42 |
| Construction Management | $81,833 | 33 |
| Industrial Production Technology | $88,492 | 31 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 30 |
| Information Science | $50,009 | 24 |
| English Language & Literature | $44,385 | 24 |
| Management Information Systems | $85,697 | 22 |
| Political Science | $50,668 | 17 |
| Chemistry | $65,038 | 15 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $48,949 | 14 |
| Public Relations | $49,989 | 14 |
| Music | $47,343 | 13 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 12 |
| Economics | Not reported | 12 |
| Special Education | $42,964 | 11 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 11 |
| Electrical Engineering Technology | Not reported | 10 |
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other | Not reported | 10 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 9 |
| Design & Applied Arts | $52,703 | 9 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 8 |
| International Relations | $41,730 | 8 |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | Not reported | 7 |
| Secondary Education | $45,738 | 7 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Not reported | 6 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 6 |
| Computer Software Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Romance Languages | $44,561 | 5 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 5 |
| Social Sciences | Not reported | 5 |
| Mental Health Services | Not reported | 5 |
| Medical Illustration | Not reported | 4 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 3 |
| East Asian Languages | Not reported | 3 |
| Germanic Languages | Not reported | 3 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Business | $67,174 | 1 |
| Accounting | $69,610 | 0 |
| Finance | $68,409 | 0 |
| Marketing | $67,018 | 0 |
| Sports & Fitness | $60,377 | Not reported |
Master (21)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $111,560 | 662 |
| Business | $94,965 | 353 |
| Social Work | $55,285 | 90 |
| Teacher Education | $49,961 | 47 |
| Educational Administration | $71,983 | 33 |
| Accounting | $88,157 | 33 |
| Information Science | $110,142 | 23 |
| Mental Health Services | $60,175 | 22 |
| Public Administration | $75,814 | 20 |
| Medical Illustration | $105,350 | 20 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 19 |
| Human Resources Management | $137,370 | 18 |
| Education | Not reported | 17 |
| Health Services Administration | Not reported | 17 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Not reported | 15 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $78,318 | 12 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 10 |
| Health Services | $85,127 | 10 |
| Sports & Fitness | Not reported | 9 |
| History | Not reported | 7 |
| Communications | Not reported | 5 |
Doctoral (1)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | Not reported | 5 |
First Professional (2)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | Not reported | 105 |
| Law | $74,937 | 102 |
Associate (3)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $40,516 | 44 |
| Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $92,849 | 1 |
| Business | $72,323 | 1 |
Graduate Certificate (4)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | Not reported | 113 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 7 |
| Secondary Education | Not reported | 6 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 6 |
Undergraduate Certificate (2)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 5 |
| Management Information Systems | Not reported | 3 |
Show 12 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master | 2 |
| Computer Software Engineering | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master | 2 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate | 2 |
| Physics | Bachelor | 2 |
| Cognitive Psychology | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Industrial Production Technology | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Homeland Security | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Geography | Bachelor | 1 |
| Geography | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Health Services Administration | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | Master | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Computer Science Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Nursing & Health Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Business Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Business Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Master's Psychology Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Biology Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's English Programs in Kentucky
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Education Programs in Kentucky
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