Oregon State vs Northern Kentucky University (NKU)

Oregon State University and Northern Kentucky University, located in the Pacific Northwest and the Bluegrass State, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences. Oregon State, a public research university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to Northern Kentucky's 88%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Oregon State excelling in fields like engineering, forestry, and agriculture, while Northern Kentucky is known for its strong business, education, and nursing programs. Oregon State's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while Northern Kentucky has a slightly higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Northern Kentucky University logo

Northern Kentucky University

Oregon State University logo

Oregon State University

Overview

Location Highland Heights, Kentucky Corvallis, Oregon
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 70.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 80.3% 89.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $40
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $75
SAT range 983 - 1210 1120 - 1370
ACT range 20 - 26 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 7.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 84.0% 13.0%
Total number of applicants 6,637 23,188
Total number of admissions given out 5,329 20,687
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,690 3,965
Yield rate 31.7% 19.2%
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 Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $28,010

Out of state: $38,066
In state: $29,393

Out of state: $48,784
Average net price $7,443 $20,318
Tuition
In state: $10,008

Out of state: $20,064
In state: $10,065

Out of state: $29,456
Room & board $11,454
Room/dormitory: $10,260

Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $10,343
87.0%
Average amount $9,156
Students receiving federal student loan 43.0%
Average amount $4,988
28.0%
Average amount $4,944
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $10,090
4.0%
Average amount $18,709

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,814
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
27,564
Men 52.0% Women 48.0%
Graduate students 5,165
Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
5,629
Men 46.2% Women 53.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 35.8%
International students 2.0% 7.6%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 1,376 5,055
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 Oregon California Washington Hawaii Colorado

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.8% 68.2%
Dropout rate 49.3% 10.0%
Transferred out N/A 18.9%
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
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,696
  • Year 2: $124,122
  • Year 3: $129,702
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $105,213
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,539
  • Year 2: $78,719
  • Year 3: $92,424
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,421
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $87,236
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,600
  • Year 2: $73,446
  • Year 3: $84,460
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,654
  • Year 2: $73,035
  • Year 3: $83,827
Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,542
  • Year 2: $71,295
  • Year 3: $81,840
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,943
  • Year 2: $67,420
  • Year 3: $76,191
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,476
  • Year 2: $62,863
  • Year 3: $76,134
Manufacturing Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $75,733

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