Eastern Kentucky University Career Outcomes & Earnings

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.

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.

Four years after completion, median earnings are $92,289 in Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, $88,120 in Construction Management, and $83,920 in Nursing. These program medians exceed the upside scenario, showing that the scenarios summarize the program mix rather than every individual field.

An estimated 26.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so this estimate matters when reading the reported earnings figure: graduates continuing their education are outside that snapshot.

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. Criminal Justice follows at 180 degrees and median earnings of $47,882, ranked #163 nationally.

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.