Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky University, Prairie View A & M University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Northern KentuckyHighland Heights, KY | Eastern KentuckyRichmond, KY | Prairie ViewPrairie View, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 67.7% | 77.6% | 79.3% |
| SAT middle 50% | 953–1150 | 880–1080 | 860–1080 |
| Average net price | $8,19125.2% on Pell grants | $11,04041.1% on Pell grants | $13,57065.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $11,088 in-state · $21,912 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,320 in-state · $21,230 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,299 in-state · $26,874 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.2% | 50.0% | 43.2% |
| First-year retention | 75.5% | 76.9% | 75.6% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 25.2% | 41.1% | 65.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $50,220 | $45,795 | $45,411 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 | $22,500 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | 15:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,246 | 12,318 | 8,877 |
| Consensus percentile | 55Lower is better | 56Lower is better | 53Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 69 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 64 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 | Northern Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky | Prairie View |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #384 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #329 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #343 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #465 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #405 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #351 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #409 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #460 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #435 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #499 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #747 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #628 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| 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 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 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 Prairie View A & M 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 profile