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NKU Salaries

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  • 4 Year
  • Highland Heights, KY
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#4 Best Public Universities in Kentucky
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Northern Kentucky University

This page shows median first-year earnings for NKU graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $33,100 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $39,700. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, with median first-year earnings of $64,300 , followed by Construction Management at $58,900 , and Computer and Information Sciences at $55,400 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $96,300 , followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) at $86,500 , and Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) at $72,600 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for Northern Kentucky University graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for Northern Kentucky University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degree) $96,300
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) $86,500
Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) $72,600
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $64,300
Construction Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $58,900
Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,400
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,600
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $54,600
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $53,800
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,000
Law (First Professional Degree) $46,700
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $43,100
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degree) $42,100
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,700
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) $41,400
Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,200
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,900
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,500
Social Work (Master's Degree) $40,200
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,900
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,900
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,500
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,700
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,700
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,100
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,100
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,000
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,400
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,900
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,800
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,900
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,700
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,900
Music (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,400
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,900
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,500

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Northern Kentucky University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=157447.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026