The 2025 tuition & fees of Northern Kentucky University is $11,088 for in-state and $21,912 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees is lower than the average tuition for Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' tuition of $30,771 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at NKU is $11,283 for Kentucky residents and $22,353 for out-of-state students, a 2.0% increase compared to 2025's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | Doctoral / Research University (not R1, R2)' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $10,896 | $21,480 | $30,055 |
| 2024-2025 | $11,088 | $21,912 | $30,771 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 1.76% | 2.01% | 2.38% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $11,283 | $22,353 | $31,504 |
The living costs at NKU is $15,212 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 7.43% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 5.57%.
The NKU's 2025 COA is $27,100 for in-state and $37,924 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $31,820 for in-state and $42,644 for out-of-state students.
86% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $8,760. It could cover 39.98% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $18,340 for in-state and $29,164 for out-of-state students..
| On-Campus | Off-Campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $11,088 | $21,912 | $11,088 | $21,912 |
| Room & Board | $12,712 | $12,712 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $2,500 | $7,220 | ||
| Books & Supplies | $800 | $800 | ||
| COA | $27,100 | $37,924 | $31,820 | $42,644 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $18,340 | $29,164 | $23,060 | $33,884 |
NKU's 4-years tuition is $44,834 for in-state and $88,733 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
Since the tuition & fees at Northern Kentucky University have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $11,136 | $11,184 | $11,233 | $11,281 | $44,834 |
| Out-of-State | $22,020 | $22,129 | $22,238 | $22,347 | $88,733 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $11,184 | $11,233 | $11,281 | $11,330 | $45,028 |
| Out-of-State | $22,129 | $22,238 | $22,347 | $22,457 | $89,171 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $11,233 | $11,281 | $11,330 | $11,379 | $45,223 |
| Out-of-State | $22,238 | $22,347 | $22,457 | $22,568 | $89,610 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $11,281 | $11,330 | $11,379 | $11,428 | $45,419 |
| Out-of-State | $22,347 | $22,457 | $22,568 | $22,679 | $90,052 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $11,330 | $11,379 | $11,428 | $11,478 | $45,615 |
| Out-of-State | $22,457 | $22,568 | $22,679 | $22,791 | $90,496 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $111,558 for Kentucky residents and $155,457 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $27,411 | $27,727 | $28,047 | $28,373 | $111,558 |
| Out-of-State | $38,295 | $38,671 | $39,052 | $39,439 | $155,457 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $27,727 | $28,047 | $28,373 | $28,703 | $112,850 |
| Out-of-State | $38,671 | $39,052 | $39,439 | $39,831 | $156,993 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $28,047 | $28,373 | $28,703 | $29,039 | $114,162 |
| Out-of-State | $39,052 | $39,439 | $39,831 | $40,228 | $158,550 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $28,373 | $28,703 | $29,039 | $29,380 | $115,495 |
| Out-of-State | $39,439 | $39,831 | $40,228 | $40,631 | $160,128 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $28,703 | $29,039 | $29,380 | $29,726 | $116,848 |
| Out-of-State | $39,831 | $40,228 | $40,631 | $41,039 | $161,728 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $76,518 for Kentucky residents and $120,417 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $18,651 | $18,967 | $19,287 | $19,613 | $76,518 |
| Out-of-State | $29,535 | $29,911 | $30,292 | $30,679 | $120,417 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $18,967 | $19,287 | $19,613 | $19,943 | $77,810 |
| Out-of-State | $29,911 | $30,292 | $30,679 | $31,071 | $121,953 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $19,287 | $19,613 | $19,943 | $20,279 | $79,122 |
| Out-of-State | $30,292 | $30,679 | $31,071 | $31,468 | $123,510 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $19,613 | $19,943 | $20,279 | $20,620 | $80,455 |
| Out-of-State | $30,679 | $31,071 | $31,468 | $31,871 | $125,088 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $19,943 | $20,279 | $20,620 | $20,966 | $81,808 |
| Out-of-State | $31,071 | $31,468 | $31,871 | $32,279 | $126,688 |
The graduate school tuition at Northern Kentucky University is $10,788 for in-state and $16,350 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at NKU graduate program page.
Northern Kentucky University has a law school and its tuition is different from other graduate programs, usually higher. The law school tuition is $25,736 for in-state and $40,088 for out-of-state students. See the detailed law school tuition at Salmon P. Chase College of Law page.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $10,590 | $16,044 |
| 2024-2025 | $10,788 | $16,350 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 1.87% | 1.91% |
| 2025-2026 | $10,990 | $16,662 |
For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at NKU is $446 for Kentucky residents and $897 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $578 for Kentucky residents and $887 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2023-2024 | $438 | $879 |
| 2024-2025 | $446 | $897 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $454 | $915 | |
| Graduate | 2023-2024 | $567 | $870 |
| 2024-2025 | $578 | $887 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $589 | $904 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at NKU. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between Northern Kentucky University and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Kentucky University | $11,088 | $21,912 |
| Youngstown State University | $9,926 | $10,286 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | $10,762 | $34,891 |
| Wright State University-Main Campus | $10,991 | $20,691 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $15,949 | $32,009 |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | $8,700 | $17,288 |
In-State (Kentucky Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $111,558, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $11,281 per year, which would total around $44,834 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $155,457. The tuition and fees are around $22,347 per year, totaling about $88,733 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at NKU is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($10,456 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at NKU is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($19,644 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The in-state graduate tuition at NKU is about the same as the average for similar schools ($10,983 - public Doctoral / Research University).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at NKU is a little bit lower than the average for similar schools ($18,377 - public Doctoral / Research University).
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