Public · Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University

Northern Michigan University is a public institution in Marquette, Michigan. 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.

$14,085
Avg net price / yr
$47,107
10-yr median earnings
51.5%
150%-time completion
84.0%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

Northern Michigan University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 34%
former-student earnings, US
84.0%
acceptance rate
51.5%
150%-time completion
+24%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote Carnegie: Master's (M)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Northern Michigan 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: Medium 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

C-
College Value Score
53/100
Northern Michigan 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+
$47,107
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C+
$14,085
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
51.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,474
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
69.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
78.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Northern Michigan University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$47,107

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$14,085

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

51.5%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 51.5%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Northern Michigan University vs peers

Northern Michigan University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 7 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Northern Michigan University positioned by e… Carnegie Classification: Master's (M) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $25K $82K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $2K $15K Avg Net Price ($) Northern Michigan University (you are here): $47K earn · $14K net · 52% grad You are here - Northern Michigan … Delta College: $38K earn · $5K net · 21% grad Delta College Saginaw Valley State University: $52K earn · $11K net · 51% grad Saginaw Valley Sta… Michigan Technological University: $78K earn · $14K net · 68% grad Michigan Technolog… University of Michigan-Dearborn: $60K earn · $9K net · 57% grad University of Mich… Wayne County Community College District: $29K earn · $8K net · 23% grad Wayne County Commu… Schoolcraft Community College District: $43K earn · $2K net · 17% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

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 Michigan 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 Michigan University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$47,107 Top 34% higher than 66% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

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 Michigan University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $47,107 #1748 of 5103 66th
Average net price $14,085 #1904 of 5020 62nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 51.5% #2851 of 4858 41st
Undergraduate enrollment 6,556 #576 of 5462 89th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

6,556
Undergraduate enrollment
84.0%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
51.5%
150%-time completion
$47,107
10-yr median earnings
78.0%
First-year retention

How Northern Michigan University ranks in Michigan

State rank among 145 reporting Michigan colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Northern Michigan University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $47,107 #41 of 145 72nd
Average net price $14,085 #52 of 138 62nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 51.5% #77 of 132 42nd
Undergraduate enrollment 6,556 #19 of 149 87th

Highest former-student earnings in Michigan

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Kettering University$94,823$34,660
2Chamberlain University-Michigan$92,405$28,045
3University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$83,648$13,138
4Michigan Technological University$78,198$14,182
5Walsh College$72,081-
6University of Detroit Mercy$71,030$15,232
7Lawrence Technological University$69,151$32,918
8Michigan State University$67,253$19,680
9Kalamazoo College$65,590$19,072
10Thomas M Cooley Law School$63,450-
11Northwood University$63,075$27,232
12Universal Technical Institute-Canton$62,575$22,985
41Northern Michigan UniversityThis school$47,107$14,085

Admissions

Admission Rate 84.0%
0%100%84%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Northern Michigan University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Northern Michigan University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $14,277
Out-of-State Tuition $19,773
Average Net Price $14,085
28.0%
Pell Grant Rate
45.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,474
Median Debt
$228/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Northern Michigan University rose +34.2% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $13,028 in 2013 to $17,485 in 2023, a rise of $4,457 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $13,0282014: $12,0392015: $12,4682016: $12,5052017: $13,8832018: $14,6902019: $15,4532020: $15,2142021: $16,5832022: $16,7232023: $17,485
2013 · $13,0282023 · $17,485

Over the same years, enrollment went -19.3% (7,959 → 6,425 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

53.7%
Female
28.5%
First Generation

Outcomes

78.0%
Retention Rate
$37,996
Median Earnings (6yr)
54.1%
Earning Over $25K
69.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 51.5%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 78.0%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $37,996
Median earnings 10 years after entry $47,107
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 54.1%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 69.6%
Median federal student debt At completion $21,474
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $228/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 47 1,104 $56,726 $91,682 $23,627
Master's 8 72 $62,274 $66,886 -
Associate's 8 188 $56,076 $66,203 $13,829
Certificate 5 64 $54,037 $78,273 $10,958

Top programs at Northern Michigan University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

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.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Construction Management Bachelor's 32 $91,682 $22,250
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 23 $90,337 -
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician Bachelor's 0 $88,881 -
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's 16 $82,326 -
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Certificate 24 $78,273 $5,500
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 103 $77,670 $24,500
Marketing Bachelor's 18 $68,157 $20,000
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Bachelor's 47 $67,522 $27,364
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 12 $66,886 -
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Associate's 8 $66,203 -
Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's 16 $63,730 $20,651
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 32 $62,901 $23,443
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Associate's 15 $62,505 $14,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Master's 9 $62,230 -
Public Administration Master's 11 $60,709 -

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Northern Michigan University?
Northern Michigan University is a public institution in Marquette, Michigan. The acceptance rate is 84.0%. Undergraduate enrollment is 6,556 students.
How much do Northern Michigan University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Northern Michigan University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $47,107 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,996.
How much does Northern Michigan University cost?
The average net price at Northern Michigan University is $14,085. In-state tuition is $14,277 and out-of-state tuition is $19,773. Median student debt at graduation is $21,474.
What is the graduation rate at Northern Michigan University?
Northern Michigan University has a 51.5% 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 78.0%.
Is Northern Michigan University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Northern Michigan University is $21,474, while former students earn a median of $47,107 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 46% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 69.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $228.

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.

Where to go next from Northern Michigan University

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.