Northern Kentucky University (NKU) vs Wright State University-Lake Campus

Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and Wright State University-Lake Campus (WSU-LC) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to prospective students. NKU, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to WSU-LC's 79%, making it a more accessible option for students. NKU also has a larger student body, with over 14,000 undergraduate students, while WSU-LC has a more intimate community of around 1,500 undergraduates. Both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, with popular majors at NKU including Business, Education, and Nursing, while WSU-LC focuses on Engineering, Business, and Health Sciences. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into the key differences between these two universities, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and
Northern Kentucky University logo

Northern Kentucky University

Wright State University-Lake Campus logo

Wright State University-Lake Campus

Overview

Location Highland Heights, Kentucky Celina, Ohio
Campus setting Suburb: Large Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 70.0% 64.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 80.3% 98.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $40
$40
SAT range 983 - 1210 790 - 890
ACT range 20 - 26 18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 7.0% 1.0%
Students submitting ACT score 84.0% 88.0%
Total number of applicants 6,637 629
Total number of admissions given out 5,329 619
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,690 266
Yield rate 31.7% 43.0%
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) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $28,010

Out of state: $38,066
In state: $22,838

Out of state: $32,256
Average net price $7,443 $9,926
Tuition
In state: $10,008

Out of state: $20,064
In state: $6,918

Out of state: $16,336
Room & board $11,454
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $10,343
81.0%
Average amount $4,274
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $4,988
32.0%
Average amount $4,964
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $10,090
2.0%
Average amount $10,158

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,814
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
1,435
Men 40.3% Women 59.7%
Graduate students 5,165
Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
9
Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 5.3%
International students 2.0% 0.1%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,376 96
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 Ohio Indiana Florida Illinois

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.8% 41.3%
Dropout rate 49.3% 57.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
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
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,849
  • Year 2: $64,307
  • Year 3: $68,129
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,408
  • Year 2: $58,494
  • Year 3: $60,565
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,871
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $49,667
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,783
  • Year 2: $39,698
  • Year 3: $42,322
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,290
  • Year 2: $32,284
  • Year 3: $35,786
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,036
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $35,128
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,673
  • Year 2: $29,517
  • Year 3: $34,961
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,359
  • Year 2: $24,421
  • Year 3: $30,474
Management Information Systems and Services (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,936
  • Year 3: $23,722
Engineering Technology, General (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,445
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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