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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY 8,246 Undergrads 51.4% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$19,772
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,976
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,863
5yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$8,976
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,863Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,024Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate51.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)22.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time82.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
67.7%
SAT Avg
1,087
SAT Reading
25th: 47353075th: 590
SAT Math
25th: 48051075th: 560
ACT Composite
25th: 182175th: 25
ROI Sensitivity AnalysisAssuming 4 Years to Graduation
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$528k
+$58k
+$41k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$496k
+$25k
+$9k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$457k
-$13k
-$30k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
40
∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
55
28%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-42%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return26%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-39%
Program ROI Analysis
These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →
Certificates
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Associate's Degrees
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$92,849
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
+$427k
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,323
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,516
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$21,098
Earnings (4yr)
$69,610
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,173
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$307k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$14,450
Earnings (4yr)
$56,999
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,319
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$20,146
Earnings (4yr)
$67,174
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,683
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,038
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,082
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$20,606
Earnings (4yr)
$82,982
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Construction Management
BachCIP: 5220
Median Debt
$19,450
Earnings (4yr)
$81,833
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$24,368
Earnings (4yr)
$55,835
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,703
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$18,669
Earnings (4yr)
$35,624
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,385
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,864
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,409
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$24,906
Earnings (4yr)
$42,684
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,569
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$73,478
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,109
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,960
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
$21,706
Earnings (4yr)
$88,492
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$24,704
Earnings (4yr)
$50,009
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,730
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$24,487
Earnings (4yr)
$44,834
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$50,322
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,697
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (4yr)
$67,018
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,478
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,378
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,343
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,949
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,668
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,984
Earnings (4yr)
$47,280
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,989
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,404
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$156k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,561
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,417
Earnings (4yr)
$44,914
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,964
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$18,938
Earnings (4yr)
$60,377
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (4yr)
$42,709
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,738
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,725
Earnings (4yr)
$88,157
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$30,035
Earnings (4yr)
$94,965
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,318
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,810
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$32,151
Earnings (2yr)
$36,992
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$338k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$21,200
Earnings (4yr)
$71,983
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,514
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,127
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,131
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$137,370
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$549k
Information Science/Studies
MastCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$110,142
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
MastCIP: 2202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Medical Illustration and Informatics
MastCIP: 5127
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$105,350
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,175
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Non-Professional Legal Studies
MastCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,153
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,814
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
$46,546
Earnings (4yr)
$111,560
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$326k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$46,714
Earnings (4yr)
$55,285
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,585
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$311k
Median Debt
$17,731
Earnings (4yr)
$49,961
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Graduate Certificates
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Gr-CertCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$94,408
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
$52,496
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$106,454
Earnings (4yr)
$74,937
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.