Brown Mackie College-Merrillville vs. NKU

Should I go to Brown Mackie College Merrillville or Northern Kentucky University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Brown Mackie College-Merrillville or NKU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Brown Mackie College Merrillville vs. Northern Kentucky University comparison
Brown Mackie College Merrillville Northern Kentucky University College 3 College 4
Northern Kentucky University
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Overview

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Location Merrillville, IN Highland Heights, KY
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 178 14,961
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #912
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status For-profit Non-profit
Website brownmackie.edu nku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Tuition (In State) $11,772 $10,512
Tuition (Out of State) $11,772 $21,096
Room & Board $6,363 $11,660
Avg Net Price - $8,151
Avg Grant Aid $0 $11,492
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 98%

Admission

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 6,417
Admitted - 6,162
Acceptance Rate Open 96%
Enrolled % Open 21%
Avg High School GPA - 3.42
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25
SAT Range 916/1133
Submit Test Scores Not applicable Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2026

Academics

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Student to Faculty Ratio 0:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (78%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Legal Professions (4%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (2%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Graduation Rate - 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,400 $39,700
Making Student Loan Payments 20% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,188 $24,950
Median Loan Payment $229 $257

Diversity

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
% Men 0% 10%
% Women 0% 24%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 34% 82%
% Black 51% 7%
% Hispanic 13% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
% In-State - 71%
% Out-of-State - 28%

Campus

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville NKU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Kentucky University is larger than than Brown Mackie College-Merrillville based on total student enrollment (14,961 students vs. 178 students)

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville vs. NKU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Brown Mackie College-Merrillville or NKU?

  • Brown Mackie College Merrillville is 12% more expensive to attend than NKU for in-state tuition ($11,772.00 vs. $10,512.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 79.2% higher at NKU than Brown Mackie College Merrillville ($21,096.00 vs. $11,772.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Brown Mackie College Merrillville are 83.2% lower than costs at Northern Kentucky University ($6,363 vs. $11,660)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Northern Kentucky University than Brown Mackie College Merrillville (98% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northern Kentucky University students is ?% larger than aid received Brown Mackie College Merrillville ($11,492 vs. $0)

Which college is harder to get into, Brown Mackie College-Merrillville or NKU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between NKU or Brown Mackie College-Merrillville .

Brown Mackie College-Merrillville vs. NKU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Brown Mackie College-Merrillville or NKU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between NKU and Brown Mackie College-Merrillville.

  • Graduates from Northern Kentucky University earn on average $7,300 more per year than Brown Mackie College-Merrillville graduates after ten years. ($39,700 vs. $32,400)
  • Brown Mackie College Merrillville students graduate with a $2,762 lower median federal student loan debt than NKU graduates. ($22,188 vs. $24,950)
  • Brown Mackie College-Merrillville graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than NKU graduates. ($229 vs. $257)
  • More NKU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Brown Mackie College-Merrillville students, three years after graduation. (53% vs. 20%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/