Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Northern Kentucky University Featured Rankings
- #1 Most Affordable Online PhDs
- #3 Best Grad Schools in Kentucky
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Kentucky
- #4 Best Research Universities in Kentucky 2026
- #4 Kentucky's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Kentucky's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Kentucky
- #6 Best Online MBAs Kentucky
- #6 Best Colleges in Kentucky 2026
- #6 Fastest Accelerated Online MBAs
- #9 Online Master's in Behavior Analysis
- #11 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
- #12 Online Bachelor’s in History
About Northern Kentucky University
According to Wikipedia, Northern Kentucky University is a public university in Highland Heights, Kentucky. Of its 15,000 students, over 10,000 are undergraduate students and nearly 5,000 are graduate students. Northern Kentucky University is the third largest university, behind the University of Cincinnati and Miami University, of Greater Cincinnati's four large universities and the youngest of Kentucky's eight. Among the university's programs are the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and the College of Informatics.
Northern Kentucky University's Online Degrees
MS in Accountancy
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting Practice & Reporting Track
- Data Analytics/Data Visualization Track
- Expedited Track
- Professional Track
- Accounting Practice & Reporting Track (
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BS in Human Services and Addictions
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA/BS in Psychological Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Management
- Marketing
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Integrative Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in History
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- General Business
- Global Supply Chain Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Respiratory Care
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Education in Teacher as Leader
Degree Concentrations
- Reading (P-12) — endorsement
- Environmental Education — endorsement
- Instructional Computer Technology — endorsement
- Special Education
- Learning and Behavior Disorders (LBD) — certification
- Moderate and Severe Disabilities (MSD) — certification
- Special Education – non certification
- Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis — approved course sequence for BCBA
- Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) — certification and non-certification
- English as a Second Language (ESL) – endorsement
- Gifted & Talented Education — endorsement
- Elementary Mathematics Specialist
- STEM Concentration: Computer Science
- Liberal Arts/Social Sciences concentration: Communication
- Liberal Arts/Social Sciences concentration: English
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MA in Teaching
Degree Concentrations
- Middle Grades
- Secondary Education
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Teaching and Leading
Degree Concentrations
- Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis
- Learning & Behavior Disorders
- Moderate & Severe Disabilities
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 18 months
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Teaching and Leading
Degree Concentrations
- P-12 Reading — endorsement
- Environmental Education — endorsement
- Instructional Computer Technology — endorsement
- Special Education
- Learning and Behavior Disorders (LBD) — certification
- Moderate and Severe Disabilities (MSD) — certification
- Special Education – non certification
- Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis — approved course sequence for BCBA
- Integrated Early Childhoood Education (IECE) — certification and non-certification
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Gifted Education — endorsement
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
Northern Kentucky University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,417 | 68% | 76% | 54% | 1051 | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Northern Kentucky University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $11,496 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $6,260 |
| 30K - 48K | $6,642 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,734 |
| 75K - 110K | $10,740 |
| 110K+ | $8,740 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Northern Kentucky University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Northern Kentucky University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $55,024 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Northern Kentucky University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 18,500 | 11,630 | 6,870 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Northern Kentucky University?
Northern Kentucky University is located at Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099.
How Safe is Northern Kentucky University?
Northern Kentucky University reported 0.2 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large commuter campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Northern Kentucky University has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Highland Heights has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.00%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Northern Kentucky University Known For?
Northern Kentucky University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Law
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Sociology
- Communications
- Economics
- Medical
- Business
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Biology
- Nursing
- Social Work
Northern Kentucky University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Northern Kentucky University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Northern Kentucky University ranks #210 in the U.S. and #648 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #302 in the U.S. and #1295 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #355 in the U.S. and #892 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #365 in the U.S. and #1249 worldwide for influence in Law.
Northern Kentucky University ranks #458 in the U.S. and #1900 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #515 in the U.S. and #2131 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #544 in the U.S. and #2404 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #546 in the U.S. and #1021 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #573 in the U.S. and #1692 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #617 in the U.S. and #2115 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #638 in the U.S. and #2406 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #640 in the U.S. and #3800 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #650 in the U.S. and #2373 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #761 in the U.S. and #2883 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #829 in the U.S. and #3143 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #945 in the U.S. and #2837 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #964 in the U.S. and #5211 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1072 in the U.S. and #4444 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1182 in the U.S. and #3916 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1183 in the U.S. and #4796 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1248 in the U.S. and #5192 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1488 in the U.S. and #3752 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNorthern Kentucky University ranks #1565 in the U.S. and #4058 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Northern Kentucky University's Most Influential Alumni?
Northern Kentucky University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Northern Kentucky University's most famous alumni:
- Gary Webb
- An American investigative journalist .
- George Clooney
- An American actor, filmmaker, and activist.
- Steve Zahn
- An American stand-up comedian.
- Michael Dourson
- An American toxicologist.
- Jeff Walz
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Maria T. Accardi
- An Academic in the field of library science at Indiana University Southeast.
- Nate Jones
- An American baseball pitcher.
