Research brief & institution hub

Eastern Kentucky University

KYLarge public institution · Overall rank #382 nationally

Data snapshot September 27, 2026Updated October 1, 2026

Eastern Kentucky University stands in the 74th percentile overall, led by access.

Who it’s a good fit for

Eastern Kentucky University is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky, where the degree mix is led by Health Professions, Business, and Security & Protective Services. Access is well above average, and mobility is well above average.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to what it cannot explain, while the factors it measures add to earnings.

Return is below the levels seen at many peers. Affordability is well above average, and the average price paid by aid recipients sits below the median at comparable schools.

Pell recipients complete at a rate that is below the overall cohort's, so the access picture is mixed. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools.

Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and a student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest.

Eastern Kentucky University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate^[1]: 77.6%
Six-year completion^[2]: 50.0%
Four-year earnings^[3]: $54,691

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income^[6]: $10,382
Median student debt^[4]: $22,500
Median Parent PLUS debt^[7]: $14,685

Eastern Kentucky University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value^[5]

Eastern Kentucky University is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky, enrolling 12,318 undergraduates. Its composite standing in the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions sits in the upper-middle of the field (74th percentile).

The university admits 77.6% of applicants, a rate that is close to the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 76.9% return for a second year, while the peer median is 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate, which counts only first-time, full-time students, is 50.0%, against a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 28.4% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students.

The four at Eastern Kentucky University sit far apart. Access is the strongest (90th percentile) and return is the weakest (13th percentile), with affordability and mobility falling between those extremes.

Eastern Kentucky University stands out most for access, with affordability and mobility also well ahead of its return profile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places access in the 90th percentile, affordability in the 85th percentile, and mobility in the 82nd percentile. Return is the weakest pillar, at the 13th percentile.

Pell Grants go to 41.1% of undergraduates at Eastern Kentucky University, a measure of financial access. The middle 50% of SAT scores submitted by enrolled students fell between 880 and 1,080, while the comparable ACT range runs from 19 to 25.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #154 for access. Pell recipients finish at 38.9%, a figure that sits 11.1 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (50.0%).

Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #269 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Eastern Kentucky University rankings in context
Geography	Rank
National	#382
Kentucky	#4
South	#141

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility: National percentile: 82

Access & reach: National percentile: 90

Affordability: National percentile: 85

Return on investment: National percentile: 13

Top-ranked majors

Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians#2
Fire Protection#2
Homeland Security#4

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

Eastern Kentucky University cost & financial aid^[6]^[7]

At Eastern Kentucky University, aid recipients face an average net price of $11,040, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. The published cost of attendance is $23,735, with in-state tuition and fees of $10,320 and room and board of $12,268.

Out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,230. Aid reduces the published cost by $12,695 on average for recipients.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634, and Eastern Kentucky University's figure is $4,594 below that median. Azimuth ranks the university #217 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The lower average price and the affordability ranking point in the same direction for aided families.

Eastern Kentucky University’s published cost of attendance is $23,735, and the price after aid is lowest in the lower-income bands. Average net price is $8,591 for the lowest-income family band, $8,005 for the lower-middle band, $10,382 for the middle band, $14,384 for the upper-middle band, and $17,009 for the highest-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,418. Azimuth places the university in the 85th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Across all aid recipients, the , what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,040. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $12,695.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634; Eastern Kentucky University is $4,594 below it. Published tuition and fees are $10,320 for in-state students and $21,230 for out-of-state students.

The lower overall price and comparison with peers point in the same direction. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,500, and 83.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

The peer median debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, putting the university $2,424 above that figure. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,685.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$10,382

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Eastern Kentucky University

Federal borrowing reaches 83.6% of federal aid recipients at Eastern Kentucky University, making loan use a common part of the cost picture. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,500.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, and Eastern Kentucky University's median is $2,424 above that figure. For the separate population of Parent PLUS borrowers, median borrowing is $14,685.

Access is the strongest pillar at Eastern Kentucky University, but its investment figures are less favorable. Graduates earn a median of $54,691 four years after completion; Azimuth places that earnings level in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are in the 3rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students.

The typical earnings scenario matches the observed median, alongside a downside scenario of $40,272 and an upside scenario of $80,121. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $22,500, $2,424 above the $20,076 peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower-than-expected earnings and debt above the peer median point in the same direction.

Parent borrowers have median Parent PLUS borrowing of $14,685, a separate federal borrower population from student borrowers. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt: $22,500
Institution Parent PLUS debt: $14,685

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly: $256/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly: $187/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS

Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

Eastern Kentucky University career outcomes & earnings^[3]^[8]^[9]

At Eastern Kentucky University, access is the stronger pillar, while the return figures warrant caution. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 13th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 3rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Of that gap, the model attributes $4,913 to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market), a share that adds to expected earnings. It attributes $25,442 to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts.

Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $54,691 four years after completion; Azimuth places that figure in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, with Eastern Kentucky University $10,919 below it.

Graduates of Eastern Kentucky University have median earnings of $54,691 four years after completion, among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

It draws on an earnings cohort of 2,571 completers. Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is below the model’s expectation here. A typical earnings scenario based on the program mix is $54,691.

An estimated 26.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment.

At Eastern Kentucky University, median earnings four years after completion are $54,691, in the 32nd percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, placing the university $10,919 below it.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,913. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $25,442.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $168. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 13th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix are $40,272 and $80,121. Psychology, the largest program, awarded 203 degrees and had median earnings of $41,384 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #316 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians awarded 120 degrees and had median earnings of $92,289, or 1.07x of the national median for its field.

Nursing awarded 141 degrees and had median earnings of $83,920; Azimuth ranks it #216 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

At Eastern Kentucky University, earnings differ sharply across fields, with several program medians above the upside scenario. The model places the downside earnings scenario at $40,272 and the upside scenario at $80,121; these are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates.

At Eastern Kentucky University, a lower average net price than comparable institutions sits alongside higher borrower debt and earnings that fall short of the model. For first-time, full-time aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,040.

That is below the $15,634 peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $4,594. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,500, which is above the $20,076 peer median by $2,424. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years.

Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students. The lower price sits alongside higher debt and lower-than-expected earnings.

What explains value-added earnings?

Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.: +$4,913
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.: -$25,442
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.: -$20,529

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

Eastern Kentucky University acceptance rate & admissions^[1]^[10]^[11]

Eastern Kentucky University admitted 77.6% of applicants, a rate close to the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The figure summarizes the share admitted from the reported applicant pool, rather than setting a threshold for any individual.

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range

Admission rate: 77.6%

Approximate lower endpoint: 880
Reported average: 1149
Approximate upper endpoint: 1080

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

What are the largest majors at Eastern Kentucky University?^[12]

Among the larger fields at Eastern Kentucky University, Nursing stands apart with median earnings of $83,920 four years after completion and 141 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #216 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

More moderate earnings appear in Criminal Justice, at $47,882 with 180 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #163 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Liberal Arts and General Studies recorded $43,352 across 164 degrees awarded and ranks #159 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Psychology posted $41,384 with 203 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #316 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The program figures show a clear separation between the higher-earning nursing field and these more moderate-earning large fields.

The highest-earning programs at Eastern Kentucky University are concentrated in applied technical and health fields, and several of them are among the largest on campus. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $92,289 four years after completion, from 120 degrees awarded a year.

Nursing is both the fourth-largest program and the third-highest-earning, with 141 degrees awarded and median earnings of $83,920. The largest program is Psychology, at 203 degrees a year, with median earnings of $41,384.

Azimuth ranks it #316 within its field. The best nationally ranked program is Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, at #2 in its field and #1 in Kentucky.

It awarded 120 degrees and its completers earned a median of $92,289 four years after completion. Fire Protection is ranked #2 nationally and #1 in Kentucky, with 64 degrees awarded and median earnings of $80,497.

Eastern Kentucky University awards bachelor's degrees across 33 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 40 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is led by Health Professions, which accounts for 14.2% of degrees awarded, closely followed by Business at 13.7% and Security & Protective Services at 13.3%.

The largest single programs are Psychology at 203 degrees awarded, Criminal Justice at 180, and Liberal Arts and General Studies at 164. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians ranks #1 in Kentucky within its field, from 120 degrees awarded a year.

Fire Protection also places well, ranking #2 nationally and #1 in Kentucky within its field, with 64 degrees awarded. The highest-earning programs are concentrated in applied fields.

Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $92,289 four years after completion, from 120 degrees awarded. Construction Management follows at $88,120, though it is a much smaller program at 29 degrees a year.

The pattern is one of strength spread across several applied fields rather than concentrated in a single program. The strongest earnings come from programs tied to specific occupations, and 11.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields

Psychology, General 203 degrees awarded: $41,384
Criminal Justice and Corrections 180 degrees awarded: $47,882
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 164 degrees awarded: $43,352
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 141 degrees awarded: $83,920
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians 120 degrees awarded: $92,289
Biology, General 90 degrees awarded: $48,327

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

How does Eastern Kentucky University serve students from different backgrounds?

Completion figures are a weaker part of Eastern Kentucky University's otherwise high mobility standing. For the first-time full-time cohort, the six-year graduation rate is 50.0%; Pell recipients complete within six years at 38.9%, below the overall rate by 11.1 percentage points.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth assigns the mobility pillar an 82nd percentile standing. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 3rd percentile. Graduates earn about $20,529 less than the model expects for similar students.

Broad entry and a substantial Pell Grant presence make access a clear strength at Eastern Kentucky University. The university admits 77.6% of applicants and enrolls 12,318 undergraduates.

Pell Grant recipients account for 41.1% of undergraduates, while an estimated 28.4% of the undergraduate population enters as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures describe multiple routes into a large public university.

06 / Eastern Kentucky University briefing

What colleges are similar to Eastern Kentucky University?^[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Eastern Kentucky University.

Admissions peerUniversity of Louisville79.4% admitted

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	University of Louisville
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$67,853+$13,162 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$17,988+$6,948 vs Eastern Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate	77.6%	79.4%

Explore University of Louisville →

Higher-admission alternativeMidway University95.1% admitted

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	Midway University
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$54,588-$103 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$29,579+$18,539 vs Eastern Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate	77.6%	95.1%

Nearby alternativeUnion Commonwealth UniversityNearby option · KY

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	Union Commonwealth University
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$52,077-$2,614 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$21,311+$10,271 vs Eastern Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate	77.6%	63.2%

Higher-earnings alternativeBaptist Health Sciences University$73,191 earnings

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	Baptist Health Sciences University
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$73,191+$18,500 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$11,212+$172 vs Eastern Kentucky University · higher cost
Admission rate	77.6%	82.0%

Explore Baptist Health Sciences University →

Lower-cost alternativeNorthern Kentucky University$8,191 average net price

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	Northern Kentucky University
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$58,429+$3,738 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$8,191-$2,849 vs Eastern Kentucky University · lower cost
Admission rate	77.6%	67.7%

Explore Northern Kentucky University →

Similar profileWestern Kentucky UniversityMatched across several measures

Comparison with Eastern Kentucky University
Measure	Eastern Kentucky University	Western Kentucky University
Peer earnings · 4 years	$54,691	$53,602-$1,089 vs Eastern Kentucky University
Average annual net price	$11,040	$10,990-$50 vs Eastern Kentucky University · lower cost
Admission rate	77.6%	93.9%

Explore Western Kentucky University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.
Source fields: C150_4
Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.
Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR
Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.
Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN
National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.
Source fields: Azimuth rankings
College Azimuth · Ranking methodology
Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.
Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV
Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.
Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations
College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology
Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.
Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios
College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology
Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
Source fields: Azimuth statistical model
College Azimuth · Value-added methodology
SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.
Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.
Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE
College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.
Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF
Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.
Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR
College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings