Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $54,691, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 24.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $19,370 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 6.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #1281 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Eastern Kentucky University is anchored in Health and related applied fields. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment scale with strong graduate earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. The Psychology, General program graduates 203 students with median earnings of $41,384 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #308 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Criminal Justice and General Studies also contribute meaningfully to the institution's earnings profile, with 180 and 164 graduates earning median four-year earnings of $47,882 and $43,352, respectively. The program mix reflects Eastern Kentucky University's regional labor-market orientation, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Education accounting for 5%, and Social Sciences contributing 3% — a concentration that shapes both the earnings floor and the ceiling for most graduates.
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $54,691, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 24.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $19,370 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 6.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #1281 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Eastern Kentucky University is anchored in Health and related applied fields. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment scale with strong graduate earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. The Psychology, General program graduates 203 students with median earnings of $41,384 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #308 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Criminal Justice and General Studies also contribute meaningfully to the institution's earnings profile, with 180 and 164 graduates earning median four-year earnings of $47,882 and $43,352, respectively. The program mix reflects Eastern Kentucky University's regional labor-market orientation, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Education accounting for 5%, and Social Sciences contributing 3% — a concentration that shapes both the earnings floor and the ceiling for most graduates.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $54,691, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 24.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $19,370 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 6.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #1281 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Eastern Kentucky University is anchored in Health and related applied fields. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment scale with strong graduate earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. The Psychology, General program graduates 203 students with median earnings of $41,384 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #308 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Criminal Justice and General Studies also contribute meaningfully to the institution's earnings profile, with 180 and 164 graduates earning median four-year earnings of $47,882 and $43,352, respectively. The program mix reflects Eastern Kentucky University's regional labor-market orientation, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Education accounting for 5%, and Social Sciences contributing 3% — a concentration that shapes both the earnings floor and the ceiling for most graduates.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Eastern Kentucky University's program mix is anchored in health, public safety, and applied professional fields — a signature that reflects the university's regional mission serving Kentucky's workforce needs. Health programs form the largest share of degree output at 14%, followed by Education at 5% and Social Sciences at 3%. The highest aggregate-return program — Nursing — combines meaningful cohort scale with strong four-year earnings, making it a central driver of the institution's overall financial outcomes across 56 programs serving roughly 2,478 students annually. Among the most popular programs at Eastern Kentucky University, Psychology, General program graduates 203 students with median earnings of $41,384 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #308 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Criminal Justice and General Studies also enroll large cohorts of 180 and 164 graduates respectively, with four-year median earnings of $47,882 and $43,352. The strongest national rankings in this group belong to Criminal Justice, which Azimuth ranks #177 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the consistent labor-market demand for graduates in that field. The highest-earning programs at Eastern Kentucky University are concentrated in health and applied technical fields, where direct-to-workforce pathways translate quickly into competitive salaries. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians leads with median earnings of $92,289 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing and Homeland Security follow closely, with graduates earning $83,920 and $67,096 respectively — fields where graduates enter stable, in-demand roles with predictable wage trajectories. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how these health and public-safety program families align with regional and national labor-market demand.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $54,691, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 24.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $19,370 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Eastern Kentucky University in the 6.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Eastern Kentucky University #1281 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Eastern Kentucky University is anchored in Health and related applied fields. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment scale with strong graduate earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. The Psychology, General program graduates 203 students with median earnings of $41,384 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #308 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Criminal Justice and General Studies also contribute meaningfully to the institution's earnings profile, with 180 and 164 graduates earning median four-year earnings of $47,882 and $43,352, respectively. The program mix reflects Eastern Kentucky University's regional labor-market orientation, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Education accounting for 5%, and Social Sciences contributing 3% — a concentration that shapes both the earnings floor and the ceiling for most graduates.
