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AlmaSpire

Flagstaff, AZ · Public · 22,903 undergraduates · urban

Northern Arizona University

Less selective

NAU's high-elevation Flagstaff setting directly complements programs in forestry, environmental science, hospitality and outdoor-oriented fields.

Campus image / Northern Arizona University

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Solid in affordability, and steady in mobility.
Academic Emerging Affordability Solid Career Steady Mobility Steady Experience Steady
Academic standing Emerging
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Steady
Mobility Steady
Student experience Steady
Admission
91% admitted

37,805 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
59.8%

$54,384 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Northern Arizona University apart

Academic design

Forestry, environmental science, hospitality, health and education are especially natural fits with northern Arizona.

Campus pattern

Flagstaff sits around 7,000 feet elevation amid ponderosa pine forest near major Colorado Plateau landscapes.

Career & value signal

Northern Arizona supports careers in forestry, conservation, tourism, healthcare and public lands management.

Can I get in?

91% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

37,805

About 91 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 91%
Entering class

Record over scores

No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.

Testingoptional
Return for a second year74%
Finish the degree59.8%

Admission by residency

Open either way

Degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students · Fall 2025

Northern Arizona University admitted 90.1% of Arizona applicants and 89.1% of applicants from other states. It admits most of the students who apply, whichever group they are in. Arizona students took 83% of the seats in the entering class.

In-state90.1% admitted

15,317 admitted from 17,003 applicants

Out-of-state89.1% admitted

19,261 admitted from 21,613 applicants

International92% admitted

983 admitted from 1,069 applicants

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northern Arizona University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Northern Arizona University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Forestry, environmental science, hospitality, health and education are especially natural fits with northern Arizona.

02

Make institutional fit specific

NAU's high-elevation Flagstaff setting directly complements programs in forestry, environmental science, hospitality and outdoor-oriented fields.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Regular DecisionJul 27
Fee and waiver$40 application fee

Fee waiver: u.s. only

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Health professionsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$35,326
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$14,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Northern Arizona University publishes one merit award, the largest under $5,000 a year. Each one requires a separate scholarship application.

Separate scholarship application An award under $5,000 a year

Through the honors college · Merit · Competitive · Has a dated deadline

In the season card

This award, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the date one of them closes - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • The deadline 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Northern Arizona University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years59.8%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one74%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$54,384

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Psychology, General

Recent graduates451
Median earnings$50,448

Biology, General

Recent graduates414
Median earnings$55,446

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Recent graduates341
Median earnings$56,433

What is campus life like?

Northern Arizona University beyond the classroom

Flagstaff sits around 7,000 feet elevation amid ponderosa pine forest near major Colorado Plateau landscapes.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Forestry, environmental science, hospitality, health and education are especially natural fits with northern Arizona.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Flagstaff sits around 7,000 feet elevation amid ponderosa pine forest near major Colorado Plateau landscapes.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Northern Arizona supports careers in forestry, conservation, tourism, healthcare and public lands management.

22,903 undergraduatesSouthwesturban setting85% of first-year students live on campus