Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

Northern Kentucky University admitted 67.6% of applicants university-wide (4,098 of 6,058).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide67.6%4,0986,058
Men68.6%1,3792,009
Women67.6%2,7043,999

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 4,098 admitted students, 1,510 enrolled (36.8% yield).

Northern Kentucky University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
953–1150
ACT (mid-50%)
18–25
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.003.74

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Northern Kentucky University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $40,924/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$21,912
Fees, housing, food, books & other$19,012
Sticker cost of attendance$40,924/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$2,603
$30k–48k$3,630
$48k–75k$6,761
$75k–110k$12,679
Over $110k$14,522

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Trustees Scholarship$12,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Distinguished Scholarship$8,000 per year (Merit)
  • Transfer ScholarshipUp to $8,000 per year (Merit)
  • Achievement Scholarship$4,000 per year (Merit)
  • NKY Pride Scholarship$2,000 per year (Other)
  • Northern Kentucky University GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • International Freshman ScholarshipUp to $6,500 per year (International Aid)
  • International Transfer ScholarshipUp to $3,000 per year (International Aid)

Northern Kentucky University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Online Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • Program-Specific Documents
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Online Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • Program-Specific Documents
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Northern Kentucky University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

Northern Kentucky University requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$50,220
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
52.2%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
76%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$23,000
At graduation

Northern Kentucky University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #384
  • Niche: #683

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (23%), Computer & information sciences (9%), Biological & life sciences (6%).

Student–faculty ratio: 16:1 · 48% of class sections have under 20 students.

Northern Kentucky University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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