Highland Heights, KY · Public · 8,246 undergraduates · suburban
Northern Kentucky University
Less selective
NKU uses its Cincinnati-area location especially well for business, computing, informatics, health, and public-sector career access.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Strong in affordability, and steady in mobility.- Admission
- 96% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 51.3%
6,417 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$50,220 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Northern Kentucky University apart
Academic design
The College of Informatics brings computing, data, communication, and related digital fields into one academic unit.
Campus pattern
Highland Heights is suburban but minutes from Cincinnati and northern Kentucky employers.
Career & value signal
Internships draw on Cincinnati's corporate, health, nonprofit, and technology sectors.
Can I get in?
96% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
6,417About 96 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 5% submitted an SAT, and 79% submitted an ACT. The SAT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northern Kentucky University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Northern Kentucky 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The College of Informatics brings computing, data, communication, and related digital fields into one academic unit.
Make institutional fit specific
NKU uses its Cincinnati-area location especially well for business, computing, informatics, health, and public-sector career access.
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.
Fee waiver: not accepted
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.
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.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Northern Kentucky 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+
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.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
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.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Admits separately
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Admits separately
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Admits separately
Psychology, General
What is campus life like?
Northern Kentucky University beyond the classroom
Highland Heights is suburban but minutes from Cincinnati and northern Kentucky employers.
A defining academic feature
The College of Informatics brings computing, data, communication, and related digital fields into one academic unit.
What shapes an ordinary week
Highland Heights is suburban but minutes from Cincinnati and northern Kentucky employers.
Where the degree can lead
Internships draw on Cincinnati's corporate, health, nonprofit, and technology sectors.