1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Northern Kentucky University](/school/northern-kentucky-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Northern Kentucky University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/northern-kentucky-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/northern-kentucky-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/northern-kentucky-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northern-kentucky-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Northern Kentucky University graduates earn? The reported median is $58,429 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $1,128 per year. Affordability is the stronger part of Northern Kentucky University’s profile; the return picture is less favorable. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,848 less than the model expects for similar students, placing [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) in the 22nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,177. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $17,025. Median earnings are $58,429 four years after completion, in the 45th percentile. That is $1,128 above the peer median of $57,301, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), so the return picture is mixed. At Northern Kentucky University, modeled outcomes differ widely by field. The downside scenario is $43,658 and the upside scenario is $79,919, with $58,429 as the typical scenario; these are earnings scenarios rather than observed groups. At the upper end of published program medians four years after completion, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians earns $88,492, Management Information Systems and Services earns $85,697, and Computer and Information Sciences earns $82,982. Those field-level figures help explain the upper part of the modeled range. 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 they should be read alongside this estimate of further study. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $58,429 **Rank for difference from expectations** 22nd percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Northern Kentucky University reported median** $58,429 **Peer schools comparable schools · $1,128 below Northern Kentucky University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $8,848 above Northern Kentucky University** $67,277 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $43,658 to $79,919, around the reported median of $58,429. Compare the lower scenario with [Northern Kentucky University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/northern-kentucky-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $43,658 **Median · reported** $58,429 **Higher estimate** $79,919 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Northern Kentucky University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Northern Kentucky University graduates’ reported earnings are $8,848 below that expectation, the 22nd percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Northern Kentucky University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$8,177 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$17,025 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$8,848 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Northern Kentucky University report the highest earnings? At Northern Kentucky University, program choice corresponds with a wide range of earnings four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences reports median earnings of $82,982, with 114 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #123 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Nursing posts $77,404 and awarded 274 degrees, with an Azimuth national field rank of #261. Other programs with strong national rankings include highly ranked fields. Health Sciences has median earnings of $73,478 four years after completion, 62 degrees awarded, and an Azimuth national field rank of #15. Construction Management reports $81,833, awarded 29 degrees, and ranks #29 nationally through Azimuth. Technical and health programs sit alongside other fields that also hold national field ranks. Northern Kentucky University awards degrees across 23 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data available for 32 fields. The largest programs and the highest-earning ones pull in different directions, so a student's choice of major matters a great deal here. Business accounts for 25.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 18.7%. Nursing is both large and well-ranked: 274 degrees awarded, median earnings of $77,404 four years after completion, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #261 nationally in its field and #5 in Kentucky. The best nationally ranked program is Health Sciences, at #15 in its field and #2 in Kentucky. It awards 62 degrees a year and shows median earnings of $73,478 four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences is another strong performer, with 114 degrees, median earnings of $82,982, and a national rank of #123 in its field. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians** $88,492 **Management Information Systems and Services** $85,697 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $82,982 **Construction Management** $81,833 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $77,404 **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General** $73,478 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $67,319 **Human Resources Management and Services** $65,960 [Explore Northern Kentucky University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/northern-kentucky-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $43,658 to $79,919, with $58,429 as the typical scenario. The spread reflects wide variation by field: the highest-earning program, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, shows $88,492 four years after completion, while among the largest programs Teacher Education is lowest at $42,709. At Northern Kentucky University, the median earnings for federally aided graduates four years after completion is $58,429, drawn from a cohort of 2,833. That figure is $1,128 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $8,848 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, and this result places the university at the 22nd percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a typical figure of $58,429, with a downside of $43,658 and an upside of $79,919. An estimated 26.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).