Northern Kentucky University (NKU) vs Maine USM

Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and University of Southern Maine (USM) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. NKU, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to USM's 79%, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. NKU's student body is predominantly undergraduate, with a larger population of male students, while USM has a more balanced gender ratio and a higher percentage of graduate students. Both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, with popular majors at NKU including Business, Health Professions, and Education, while USM excels in fields such as Business, Nursing, and Social Sciences. While NKU has a slightly higher graduation rate (59%) than USM (57%), both universities provide ample support and resources to help students succeed in their academic pursuits. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two institutions and make an
Northern Kentucky University logo

Northern Kentucky University

University of Southern Maine logo

University of Southern Maine

Overview

Location Highland Heights, Kentucky Portland, Maine
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
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 70.0% 65.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 80.3% 87.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $40
SAT range 983 - 1210 995 - 1230
ACT range 20 - 26 19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 7.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 84.0% 1.0%
Total number of applicants 6,637 5,397
Total number of admissions given out 5,329 4,695
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,690 895
Yield rate 31.7% 19.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $28,010

Out of state: $38,066
In state: $23,842

Out of state: $37,842
Average net price $7,443 $9,793
Tuition
In state: $10,008

Out of state: $20,064
In state: $8,064

Out of state: $22,064
Room & board $11,454
Room/dormitory: $5,460

Meal plan: $4,980
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $10,343
92.0%
Average amount $8,886
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $4,988
45.0%
Average amount $4,969
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $10,090
6.0%
Average amount $10,975

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,814
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
5,956
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students 5,165
Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
2,040
Men 25.3% Women 74.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 23.4%
International students 2.0% 1.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 1,376 1,189
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Ohio Indiana Florida Maryland Maine New Hampshire Mississippi Vermont Connecticut

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.8% 34.5%
Dropout rate 49.3% 33.0%
Transferred out N/A 30.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,041
  • Year 2: $95,169
  • Year 3: $100,726
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,660
  • Year 2: $61,728
  • Year 3: $71,074
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,579
  • Year 2: $55,594
  • Year 3: $65,574
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,254
  • Year 2: $57,422
  • Year 3: $60,602
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,123
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $55,627
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,644
  • Year 3: $54,835
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,681
  • Year 2: $45,852
  • Year 3: $51,356
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,716
  • Year 2: $51,690
  • Year 3: $50,246
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,148
  • Year 2: $45,767
  • Year 3: $49,334
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $41,342
  • Year 3: $48,118

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