- Acceptance rate: 68% for fall 2024
- Average high school GPA: 3.34, as reported by the college for 2025–26
- SAT, middle 50%: 473–590 reading and writing, 480–560 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 18–25 composite
- Average net price: $8,151 a year (2022–23)
On this page · 7 sections
How does your GPA compare?
Don't know your GPA? Check your GPA
Where you standEnter your GPA
Type your GPA to compare it with what Northern Kentucky University reported: an average GPA of 3.34 (2025–26), an acceptance rate of 68% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 18–25.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Northern Kentucky University reviews each application.
Northern Kentucky University average GPA
Northern Kentucky University reported an average high school GPA of 3.34 for its first-year students who submitted one (96% did), in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.
An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so this figure can't be compared directly with your own GPA.
Northern Kentucky University acceptance rate
Northern Kentucky University admitted 4,098 of 6,058 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 68%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Northern Kentucky University is a public 4-year university in Highland Heights, Kentucky, with 10,163 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Northern Kentucky University in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 473 | 530 | 590 |
| SAT Math | 480 | 510 | 560 |
| ACT Composite | 18 | 21 | 25 |
| ACT English | 17 | 21 | 25 |
| ACT Math | 17 | 20 | 24 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1087 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Northern Kentucky University looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Required |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Required |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Not considered |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Not considered |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Not considered |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Not considered |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Not considered |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Northern Kentucky University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It also awards credit for life experience, such as work or military service.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $8,151 a year at Northern Kentucky University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.0 GPA good enough for Northern Kentucky University?
GPA alone can't tell you here. Northern Kentucky University admitted 68% of first-year applicants for fall 2024. It requires a high school GPA but hasn't published an average we could verify, so there's no admitted-student GPA to compare a 3.0 against. Your transcript and test scores are the clearer guide.
How much does GPA matter at Northern Kentucky University?
A lot: Northern Kentucky University requires high school GPA, high school record, college preparatory program and other tests. It considers test scores if you send them. It doesn't consider high school class rank, recommendations, essay or personal statement, demonstration of competencies, work experience and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Is there a minimum GPA for Northern Kentucky University?
Northern Kentucky University doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.34, as reported by the college in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.
How many applicants get into Northern Kentucky University?
Northern Kentucky University's acceptance rate was 68% for fall 2024: it admitted 4,098 of 6,058 first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Northern Kentucky University hard to get into?
It's moderately accessible: more than half of applicants got in. Northern Kentucky University admitted 68% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Is Northern Kentucky University test optional?
Yes. Northern Kentucky University considers SAT or ACT scores if you send them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 5% sent SAT scores and 73% sent ACT scores.
What are Northern Kentucky University's SAT and ACT score ranges?
The middle 50% of Northern Kentucky University's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 473–590 in reading and writing and 480–560 in math; ACT composite 18–25, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
How much does Northern Kentucky University cost after financial aid?
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $8,151 a year at Northern Kentucky University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Can you get college credit for AP scores at Northern Kentucky University?
Yes. Northern Kentucky University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
Does Northern Kentucky University consider legacy status?
No. Northern Kentucky University doesn't consider whether a parent or other relative attended, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Before you apply, check Northern Kentucky University's official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Northern Kentucky UniversityU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- Northern Kentucky University Common Data Set 2025–26Northern Kentucky University: average high school GPA of first-year students.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
Similar colleges in Kentucky
With a similar acceptance rate and size.
- Morehead State UniversityEasy · 77% admitted
- Eastern Kentucky UniversityEasy · 78% admitted
- Campbellsville UniversityEasy · 80% admitted
- University of LouisvilleEasy · 79% admitted
- Murray State UniversityEasy · 86% admitted
- Asbury UniversityFairly easy · 63% admitted
See all colleges in Kentucky →