Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Eastern Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky University, Kennesaw State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Eastern KentuckyRichmond, KY | Northern KentuckyHighland Heights, KY | Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 77.6% | 67.7% | 69.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 880–1080 | 953–1150 | 1000–1220 |
| Average net price | $11,04041.1% on Pell grants | $8,19125.2% on Pell grants | $15,04837.7% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,320 in-state · $21,230 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,088 in-state · $21,912 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $5,808 in-state · $17,736 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% | 52.2% | 52.2% |
| First-year retention | 76.9% | 75.5% | 76.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 41.1% | 25.2% | 37.7% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $45,795 | $50,220 | $57,552 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,500 | $23,000 | $23,833 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 18:1 | 23:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 12,318 | 8,246 | 41,254 |
| Consensus percentile | 56Lower is better | 55Lower is better | 57Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 69 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Eastern Kentucky | Northern Kentucky | Kennesaw State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #329 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #384 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #373 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #484 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #405 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #465 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #189 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #460 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #409 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #339 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #747 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #499 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #543 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Eastern Kentucky University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Northern Kentucky University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Kennesaw State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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