by our College Data Analytics TeamWant the scoop on Northern Kentucky University Graduate School? We’ve put together a comprehensive report on the school that covers what degree programs NKU offers, if the school is ranked, how diverse it is, and much more. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
The goal of College Factual’s yearly Best Quality Schools rankings is to help students find graduate schools that provide excellent learning environments that are a great fit for them.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
Out of a field of 4,630 colleges and universities considered in the 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking, Northern Kentucky University landed the #830 spot.NKU also ranked #4 for Best Master’s Degree Schools in Kentucky.
NKU was ranked #830 in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking out of the 4,630 schools that were included in the ranking.For the Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Kentucky, NKU came in at #4.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingOut of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, NKU came in at #830. NKU also ranked #4 for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky.
NKU ranked #830 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. NKU also ranked #4 for Best Graduate Schools in Kentucky.
For the last year in which we have data, 5,184 graduate students decided that Northern Kentucky University was the best place for them.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Keep reading to learn more.
Women make up 71.4% of the total graduate student body at NKU while men make up 28.6%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
Of all the graduate students at NKU, around 23.8% belong to a racial-ethnic minority group.NKU is popular with people from outside the United States, too. International students make up 2.5% of the graduate student population.The chart below shows the breakdown of graduate student demographics at the school. You can click on it for a more detailed view.
The average graduate full-time tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $24,410 | $39,074 |
| Fees | $384 | $384 |
The typical graduate student at NKU who borrowed carries a median debt of $25,762.
After earning their master’s degree from NKU, graduates go on to jobs with an average early-career salary of $75,884.
Professional degree recipients from NKU earn an average early-career salary of $83,680.
Yearly salaries vary depending on the field of study, but the table below shows the highest-earning graduate fields of study at NKU based on the early-career earnings of recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Business & Commerce | $114,221 |
| Nursing | $106,573 |
| Human Resource Management | $97,238 |
| Accounting | $85,876 |
| Information Science | $85,634 |
| Law | $83,680 |
| Educational Administration | $80,006 |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | $75,429 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | $72,569 |
| Public Administration | $55,468 |
Northern Kentucky University is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky.The suburban atmosphere of Highland Heights makes it a great place for students who want the amenities of city life without actually living in the middle of a constant hustle and bustle. Get more details about the location of Northern Kentucky University.
Contact details for NKU are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099 |
| Phone: | 859-572-5100 |
| Website: | www.nku.edu |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/nkuedu |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/nkuedu |
Around 88.8% of NKU graduate students took at least one course online.Approximately 80.4% of grad students took all their classes online during that same time period.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 61 | $85,876 |
| Allied Health Professions | 13 | — |
| Business & Commerce | 453 | $114,221 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 17 | $72,569 |
| Communication & Media Studies | 6 | — |
| Computer Science | 3 | — |
| Educational Administration | 41 | — |
| General Education | 15 | — |
| General English Literature | 9 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 13 | — |
| Health Sciences & Services | 2 | — |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 27 | — |
| History | 17 | — |
| Human Resource Management | 9 | $97,238 |
| Information Science | 17 | — |
| Information Technology | 45 | — |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 2 | — |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 14 | — |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 15 | $53,762 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 15 | — |
| Nursing | 625 | $106,573 |
| Public Administration | 11 | $55,468 |
| Social Work | 92 | $54,909 |
| Student Counseling | 4 | — |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 41 | $50,980 |
Just like the master’s programs above, the doctorate programs shown here are only those in which doctorate degrees were awarded.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 16 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Northern Kentucky University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 8 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 2 | — |
| Homeland Security | 1 | — |
| Management Information Systems | 1 | — |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 1 | — |
| Nursing | 72 | — |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 3 | — |
| Writing Studies | 6 | — |
Only the programs in which a professional degree was awarded are shown here.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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