UTC-Chattanooga vs Northern Kentucky University (NKU)

Nestled in the vibrant city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the charming town of Highland Heights, Kentucky, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC) and Northern Kentucky University (NKU) stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs and a rich campus experience, they also possess unique characteristics that set them apart. From their contrasting acceptance rates and popular majors to their distinct student body demographics and graduation rates, UTC and NKU present prospective students with a choice that aligns with their individual aspirations and academic pursuits. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into the details and discover which university best resonates with your educational goals and personal preferences.

	Northern Kentucky University	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Overview
Location	Highland Heights, Kentucky	Chattanooga, Tennessee
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	80.3%	85.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35
SAT range	983 - 1210	1030 - 1230
ACT range	20 - 26	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	84.0%	89.0%
Total number of applicants	6,637	7,607
Total number of admissions given out	5,329	6,518
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,690	2,074
Yield rate	31.7%	31.8%
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: $24,798 Out of state: $40,916
Average net price	$7,443	$13,552
Tuition	In state: $10,008 Out of state: $20,064	In state: $7,992 Out of state: $24,110
Room & board	$11,454	Room/dormitory: $6,348 Meal plan: $4,114
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $10,343	96.0% Average amount $9,566
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,988	44.0% Average amount $4,907
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $10,090	4.0% Average amount $10,148

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	10,814 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	10,016 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
Graduate students	5,165 Men 25.9% Women 74.1%	1,441 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.5%
International students	2.0%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,376	3,488
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	Tennessee Georgia Alabama Virgin Islands California

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Engineering Business Education Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.8%	53.7%
Dropout rate	49.3%	44.3%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $146,119 Year 2: $145,898 Year 3: $147,996 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,736 Year 2: $76,041 Year 3: $80,605 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,245 Year 2: $72,883 Year 3: $78,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,841 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $74,942 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,600 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,667 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,404 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $71,084 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,427 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $70,983 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,615 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $69,556 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,269 Year 2: $71,255 Year 3: $69,322 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,241 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,753

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