10-yr median earnings
$50,220
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Highland Heights, Kentucky
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University is a public institution in Highland Heights, 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.
- $8,191
- Avg net price / yr
- $50,220
- 10-yr median earnings
- 50.2%
- 150%-time completion
- 67.7%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Northern Kentucky University pairs above-median former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 29%
- former-student earnings, US
- 67.7%
- acceptance rate
- 50.2%
- 150%-time completion
- +19%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Doctoral/Prof
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Northern Kentucky 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 ("Doctoral/Professional Universities"), 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
C
College Value Score
57/100
Northern Kentucky 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 B-
$50,220
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price A-
$8,191
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
50.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$23,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
69.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
75.5%
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
$8,191
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
50.2%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 50.2%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Northern Kentucky 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 Northern Kentucky 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.
Northern Kentucky University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$50,220 Top 29% higher than 71% 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 | Northern Kentucky University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $50,220 | #1457 of 5103 | 71st |
| Average net price | $8,191 | #813 of 5020 | 84th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 50.2% | #2953 of 4858 | 39th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,246 | #436 of 5462 | 92nd |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
8,246
Undergraduate enrollment
67.7%
Acceptance rate
1,087
SAT average
50.2%
150%-time completion
$50,220
10-yr median earnings
75.5%
First-year retention
How Northern Kentucky University ranks in Kentucky
State rank among 70 reporting Kentucky colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Northern Kentucky University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $50,220 | #11 of 70 | 84th |
| Average net price | $8,191 | #21 of 79 | 73rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 50.2% | #42 of 75 | 44th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,246 | #5 of 81 | 94th |
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 UniversityThis school | $50,220 | $8,191 |
| 12 | Spalding University | $49,438 | $25,491 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 67.7% |
| SAT Average | 1,087 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 480 – 560 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 473 – 590 |
| ACT Average | 23 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 18 – 25 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Northern Kentucky University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $2,603
$0 – $30k
$2,603 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $3,630
$30k – $48k
$3,630 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$6,761 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$14,522 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Northern Kentucky University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $11,088 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $21,912 |
| Average Net Price | $8,191 |
25.2%
Pell Grant Rate
30.9%
Federal Loan Rate
$23,000
Median Debt
$244/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Northern Kentucky University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $6,087 to $9,244 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -18.1%, 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
$6,087
Highest year
$9,244
Most recent (2023)
$7,168
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $8,7532023 · $7,168
Over the same years, enrollment went -32.7% (11,976 → 8,065 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
58.6%
Female
38.1%
First Generation
Outcomes
75.5%
Retention Rate
$42,105
Median Earnings (6yr)
64.2%
Earning Over $25K
69.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 50.2% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 75.5% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $42,105 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $50,220 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 64.2% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 69.9% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $244/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46 | 2,087 | $57,389 | $88,492 | $22,968 |
| Master's | 18 | 1,225 | $86,477 | $137,370 | $33,590 |
| Associate's | 3 | 15 | $68,563 | $92,849 | $18,625 |
| Doctoral | 2 | 12 | - | - | $63,614 |
| Level 99 | 1 | 0 | $122,300 | $122,300 | - |
| First Professional | 1 | 119 | $74,937 | $74,937 | $101,097 |
Top programs at Northern Kentucky University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Human Resources Management…
Human Resources Management and Services
$137,370 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$122,300 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$111,560 median earnings
- Information Science/Studies
Information Science/Studies
$110,142 median earnings
- Medical Illustration and I…
Medical Illustration and Informatics
$105,350 median earnings
- Business/Commerce, General
Business/Commerce, General
$94,965 median earnings
- Architectural Engineering …
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$92,849 median earnings
- Industrial Production Tech…
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
$88,492 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.
Nearby Schools
Interactive College of Technology-Newport
Newport, KY
101 students
Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training
Newport, KY
53 students
Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY
1,293 students
Gods Bible School and College
Cincinnati, OH
281 students
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
205 students
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.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Northern Kentucky University? ▼
Northern Kentucky University is a public institution in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The acceptance rate is 67.7%. The average SAT score is 1,087. Undergraduate enrollment is 8,246 students.
How much do Northern Kentucky University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Northern Kentucky University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $50,220 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $42,105.
How much does Northern Kentucky University cost? ▼
The average net price at Northern Kentucky University is $8,191. In-state tuition is $11,088 and out-of-state tuition is $21,912. Median student debt at graduation is $23,000.
What is the graduation rate at Northern Kentucky University? ▼
Northern Kentucky University has a 50.2% 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 75.5%.
Is Northern Kentucky University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Northern Kentucky University is $23,000, while former students earn a median of $50,220 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 46% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 69.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $244.
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 Northern Kentucky University
- Compare Northern Kentucky 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.