Public · Highland Heights, KY
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University merit aid, cost of attendance, freshman GPA and SAT/ACT scores, net price by income, and graduate earnings.
Costs, merit aid & admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 97%
- Undergraduates
- 8,246
- Avg merit aid / yr
- $3,019
- Cost of attendance (in-state)
- $27,100
- Cost of attendance (out-of-state)
- $37,924
- SAT 75th percentile
- 1150
- ACT 75th percentile
- 25
Costs are annual prices before aid. Average merit aid is the average non-need-based award to freshmen who got one — not an offer to every applicant.
Northern Kentucky University incoming freshman academic profile
- Average high school GPA
- Not reported
- SAT composite middle score
- 9702025-26 CDS · Source
- ACT composite middle score
- 222025-26 CDS · Source
Average GPA of enrolled freshmen (scale may be weighted or unweighted). SAT/ACT are median scores of students who submitted them — not scholarship cutoffs.
Northern Kentucky University net price by family income
Historical average cost after all grants and scholarships — not need-based aid eligibility. 2024–25 academic year.
| Family income | $0–30K | $30–48K | $48–75K | $75–110K | $110K+ | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual net price | $6,260 | $6,642 | $8,734 | $10,740 | $8,740 | $8,976 |
Families earning $150,000+ should not assume they'll get need-based grants; the "Over $110K" group mixes very different incomes.
At what family income does financial aid stop at Northern Kentucky University?
There's no universal cutoff. Need-based aid depends on income, assets, family size and college rules; merit scholarships are based on grades and scores, so high income doesn't rule them out. Use Northern Kentucky University's net price calculator for a personal estimate, and the federal aid estimator for federal aid.
Graduation, earnings & student debt
- 6-year graduation
- 54.4%Fall 2019 / 2019–20 entering cohort
- First-year retention
- 75.5%Fall 2023 entering cohort; return in fall 2024
- Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
- $55,0242011–12 and 2012–13 entering cohorts; earnings in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars
- Median federal debt
- $20,750Federal fiscal years 2024 and 2025, pooled
Historical group figures, not individual predictions. Debt excludes private and Parent PLUS loans. Source: College Scorecard (ID 157447).
Colleges with acceptance rates similar to Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University accepts about 97% of applicants. These colleges have the closest reported acceptance rates.
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO97% acceptance
- University of Maine · Orono, ME97% acceptance
- Marshall University · Huntington, WV97% acceptance
- University of Mississippi · University, MS97% acceptance
- Texas Woman's University · Denton, TX97% acceptance
- Missouri Southern State University · Joplin, MO97% acceptance
- Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN97% acceptance
- Point Park University · Pittsburgh, PA97% acceptance
- Bellin College · Green Bay, WI97% acceptance
- Bluefield State University · Bluefield, WV97% acceptance
Colleges with merit aid similar to Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University reports average merit aid of $3,019 per year. These colleges report the closest average non-need-based awards.
- Missouri Western State University · Saint Joseph, MO$2,984.42 avg merit aid / yr
- Spring Arbor University · Spring Arbor, MI$3,060 avg merit aid / yr
- Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL$3,075 avg merit aid / yr
- Eastern Oregon University · La Grande, OR$2,950.01 avg merit aid / yr
- Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA$3,097 avg merit aid / yr
- Millersville University of Pennsylvania · Millersville, PA$2,915 avg merit aid / yr
- Utah State University · Logan, UT$3,124 avg merit aid / yr
- San Jose State University · San Jose, CA$3,146 avg merit aid / yr
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA$3,169.327 avg merit aid / yr
- Montana State University · Bozeman, MT$2,857 avg merit aid / yr
Data sources & limitations
Admissions, costs and merit aid: collegedata.fyi (Common Data Set + federal data), imported Oct 2026. Net prices and outcomes: College Scorecard, Oct 15, 2026 release, matched by federal ID. SAT 75th percentile adds section scores; 90th-percentile and GPA match thresholds are estimates. ROI compares four years of average net price with median earnings 10 years after entry, ranked in thirds across colleges. Blank means not reported — never estimated. Confirm costs and scholarships with the college.