Northern Kentucky University (NKU) vs Columbus State

Northern Kentucky University and Columbus State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. NKU, nestled in the vibrant city of Highland Heights, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic aspirations. CSU, located in the bustling capital of Ohio, Columbus, stands out with its diverse student body, fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus community. While NKU excels in fields like business and nursing, CSU shines in areas such as engineering and education. Both universities prioritize student success, reflected in their strong graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Columbus State University	Northern Kentucky University
Overview
Location	Columbus, Georgia	Highland Heights, Kentucky
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	61.0%	70.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.5%	80.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40
SAT range	870 - 1130	983 - 1210
ACT range	18 - 24	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	84.0%
Total number of applicants	5,275	6,637
Total number of admissions given out	4,142	5,329
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,205	1,690
Yield rate	29.1%	31.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,563 Out of state: $34,617	In state: $28,010 Out of state: $38,066
Average net price	$13,571	$7,443
Tuition	In state: $4,371 Out of state: $15,425	In state: $10,008 Out of state: $20,064
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,228 Meal plan: $4,400	$11,454
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $7,234	99.0% Average amount $10,343
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $4,926	43.0% Average amount $4,988
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $7,458	3.0% Average amount $10,090

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,403 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	10,814 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students	1,495 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%	5,165 Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.6%	N/A
International students	1.7%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,467	1,376
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Alabama Florida Texas Ohio	Ohio Indiana Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.7%	47.8%
Dropout rate	20.9%	49.3%
Transferred out	32.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,649 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,343 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $67,553 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,327 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $66,828 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,668 Year 2: $54,852 Year 3: $65,564 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,920 Year 2: $56,169 Year 3: $61,330 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $63,251 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,599 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,949 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $58,076 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,075 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,483 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,572 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,256 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $50,084	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $98,497 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,665 Year 2: $90,245 Year 3: $95,400 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,690 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $91,600 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,069 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $79,768 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,058 Year 2: $67,420 Year 3: $74,689 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,266 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $72,692 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,922 Year 2: $59,071 Year 3: $66,724 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,135 Year 2: $59,534 Year 3: $65,990 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,914 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $62,291 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $41,900 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $61,904

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