10-yr median earnings
$43,197
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Morehead, Kentucky
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public institution in Morehead, Kentucky. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $9,793
- Avg net price / yr
- $43,197
- 10-yr median earnings
- 50.0%
- 150%-time completion
- 77.2%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Morehead State University pairs above-median former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 43%
- former-student earnings, US
- 77.2%
- acceptance rate
- 50.0%
- 150%-time completion
- +16%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Morehead State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
49/100
Morehead State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings C
$43,197
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B+
$9,793
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
50.0%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,250
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C-
60.0%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
65.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$9,793
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
50.0%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 50.0%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Morehead State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Morehead State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Morehead State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$43,197 Top 43% higher than 57% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Morehead State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $43,197 | #2206 of 5103 | 57th |
| Average net price | $9,793 | #1092 of 5020 | 78th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 50.0% | #2963 of 4858 | 39th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,578 | #800 of 5462 | 85th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
4,578
Undergraduate enrollment
77.2%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
50.0%
150%-time completion
$43,197
10-yr median earnings
65.0%
First-year retention
How Morehead State University ranks in Kentucky
State rank among 70 reporting Kentucky colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Morehead State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $43,197 | #21 of 70 | 70th |
| Average net price | $9,793 | #25 of 79 | 68th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 50.0% | #43 of 75 | 43rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,578 | #11 of 81 | 86th |
Highest former-student earnings in Kentucky
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centre College | $66,240 | $20,781 |
| 2 | Bellarmine University | $62,069 | $21,499 |
| 3 | Galen College of Nursing-Louisville | $61,480 | $18,540 |
| 4 | Galen College of Nursing-ARH | $61,480 | $21,164 |
| 5 | Galen Health Institutes-Pikeville | $61,480 | $28,475 |
| 6 | Thomas More University | $59,384 | $21,835 |
| 7 | University of Kentucky | $59,025 | $18,851 |
| 8 | Transylvania University | $54,705 | $21,913 |
| 9 | University of Louisville | $53,899 | $17,988 |
| 10 | Georgetown College | $52,074 | $14,095 |
| 11 | Northern Kentucky University | $50,220 | $8,191 |
| 12 | Spalding University | $49,438 | $25,491 |
| 21 | Morehead State UniversityThis school | $43,197 | $9,793 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 77.2% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Morehead State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$7,150 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$7,057 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$8,874 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$15,164 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Morehead State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $10,024 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $14,980 |
| Average Net Price | $9,793 |
29.5%
Pell Grant Rate
33.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,250
Median Debt
$236/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Morehead State University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $10,089 to $12,759 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -3.4%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$10,089
Highest year
$12,759
Most recent (2023)
$10,089
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $10,4392023 · $10,089
Over the same years, enrollment went -36.2% (7,344 → 4,689 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
61.8%
Female
41.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
65.0%
Retention Rate
$37,131
Median Earnings (6yr)
52.2%
Earning Over $25K
60.0%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 50.0% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 65.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $37,131 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $43,197 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 52.2% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 60.0% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $236/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 32 | 1,002 | $51,304 | $85,740 | $24,116 |
| Master's | 8 | 151 | $55,924 | $89,399 | $30,050 |
| Associate's | 4 | 144 | $55,027 | $75,065 | $21,643 |
| Doctoral | 1 | 20 | $88,148 | $88,148 | - |
| Graduate Certificate | 1 | 20 | $70,924 | $70,924 | - |
Top programs at Morehead State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$89,399 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$88,148 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$85,740 median earnings
- Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering-Related Fields
$85,181 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$76,850 median earnings
- Engineering Technologies/T…
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
$76,568 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$75,065 median earnings
- Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum and Instruction
$70,924 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
4,410 students · 168 apart
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK
4,772 students · 194 apart
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO
4,378 students · 200 apart
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, PA
4,814 students · 236 apart
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Morehead State University? ▼
Morehead State University is a public institution in Morehead, Kentucky. The acceptance rate is 77.2%. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,578 students.
How much do Morehead State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Morehead State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $43,197 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,131.
How much does Morehead State University cost? ▼
The average net price at Morehead State University is $9,793. In-state tuition is $10,024 and out-of-state tuition is $14,980. Median student debt at graduation is $22,250.
What is the graduation rate at Morehead State University? ▼
Morehead State University has a 50.0% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 65.0%.
Is Morehead State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Morehead State University is $22,250, while former students earn a median of $43,197 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 52% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 60.0% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $236.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Morehead State University
- Compare Morehead State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Kentucky side by side.Browse Kentucky
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.