NKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph

Should I go to Northern Kentucky University or College of Mount St. Joseph? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if NKU or College of Mount St. Joseph 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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Northern Kentucky University vs. College of Mount St. Joseph comparison
Northern Kentucky University College of Mount St. Joseph College 3 College 4
Northern Kentucky University
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Overview

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Location Highland Heights, KY Cincinnati, OH
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,801 2,027
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #805 #470
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nku.edu msj.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Tuition (In State) $10,208 $33,750
Tuition (Out of State) $20,464 $33,750
Room & Board $11,248 $10,650
Avg Net Price $7,259 $17,506
Avg Grant Aid $11,275 $25,149
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,905 2,127
Admitted 5,939 1,156
Acceptance Rate 86% 54.3%
Enrolled % 27.6% 25.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 21/27
SAT Range 1030/1290 1068/1233
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (26%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Graduation Rate 37% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,700 $44,700
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,950 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $257 $289

Diversity

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
% Men 36% 37%
% Women 64% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 78%
% Black 7% 11%
% Hispanic 3% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
% In-State 66% 74%
% Out-of-State 26% 26%

Campus

 NKU College of Mount St. Joseph
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Kentucky University is larger than than College of Mount St. Joseph based on total student enrollment (15,801 students vs. 2,027 students)

NKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NKU or College of Mount St. Joseph?

  • College of Mount St. Joseph is 230.6% more expensive to attend than NKU for in-state tuition ($33,750.00 vs. $10,208.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 64.9% higher at College of Mount St. Joseph than Northern Kentucky University ($33,750.00 vs. $20,464.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northern Kentucky University than College of Mount St. Joseph ($7,259 vs. $17,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of Mount St. Joseph are 5.6% lower than costs at Northern Kentucky University ($10,650 vs. $11,248)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Northern Kentucky University as College of Mount St. Joseph (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of Mount St. Joseph students is 123.1% larger than aid received Northern Kentucky University ($25,149 vs. $11,275)

NKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman College of Mount St. Joseph students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at NKU (3.42)
  • NKU has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than College of Mount St. Joseph (54.3%)

NKU vs. College of Mount St. Joseph Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NKU or College of Mount St. Joseph? 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 College of Mount St. Joseph and NKU.

  • The graduation rate at College of Mount St. Joseph is higher than Northern Kentucky University (59% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from College of Mount St. Joseph earn on average $5,000 more per year than NKU graduates after ten years. ($44,700 vs. $39,700)
  • Northern Kentucky University students graduate with a $3,050 lower median federal student loan debt than College of Mount St. Joseph graduates. ($24,950 vs. $28,000)
  • NKU graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than College of Mount St. Joseph graduates. ($257 vs. $289)
  • More College of Mount St. Joseph graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NKU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 53%)

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