Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky · Public · 77.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Eastern Kentucky University scores 39 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale - a regional public university in Richmond, KY with 12,318 enrolled students and a $10,320 in-state tuition discounted to an $11,040 net price. The score reflects a 17.1-year payback period, a 24.4% earnings premium, a 0.688 debt-to-earnings ratio, a 50.0% completion rate, and a 64.6% repayment rate at 3 years. The institution's core problem is a combination of low median earnings and high debt relative to those earnings - a 0.688 debt-to-earnings ratio at $11,040 per year indicates that students are borrowing at a rate disproportionate to the value of the credential they receive. The program portfolio is large and spans safety technologies, nursing, fire protection, education, and criminal justice. Top programs include Quality Control and Safety Technologies (101 grads, $71,240 year-one, grade C+), Construction Management (32 grads, $68,726 year-one, grade B), and Registered Nursing (118 grads, $68,633 year-one, grade B).
How Eastern Kentucky University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period17.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Eastern Kentucky University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,320/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,230/yr |
| Average net price | $11,040/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $44,160 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,795 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $239 |
| Estimated payback period | 17.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 12,318 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $10,320/year ($21,230/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $11,040/year, or roughly $44,160 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $8,591/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,009/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,500, which works out to about $239 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,700) and comes to 0.69, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $8,591 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $8,005 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $10,382 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,384 |
| $110,001+ | $17,009 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $8,591 per year at EKU - a genuinely low net price that reflects federal Pell Grant eligibility and Kentucky state aid. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $8,005 - even lower, likely reflecting additional state grant stacking. For low-income students in Kentucky, EKU's $8,000-$9,000 per year cost makes it financially accessible. The challenge is the 50.0% completion rate and $32,700 average earnings - if a student completes the nursing, construction management, or fire protection program, the financial case is sound. For low-income students who enter criminal justice or psychology, the payback math is difficult even at $8,600 per year.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $10,382 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $14,384. The step-up from the lowest brackets is material - about $2,000-$6,000 more per year - reflecting that need-based aid drops off substantially above the $48,000 income threshold. For middle-income Kentucky families, EKU at $10,000-$14,000 per year is a modest cost. The concern is the 17.1-year payback on $32,700 average earnings. Half of graduates earn below $32,700; half of enrolled students do not complete.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $17,009 per year at EKU - a four-year total of approximately $68,000. For high-income families, EKU's total cost is low in absolute terms, but the opportunity cost is material: a student who could attend a higher-ROI institution is forgoing better outcomes at a modest price difference. High-income families choosing EKU are typically doing so for geographic proximity, specific program access, or cost minimization. For programs like nursing and construction management, the outcomes justify the choice at any income level. For programs at the bottom of EKU's portfolio, the low cost does not redeem the weak outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Eastern Kentucky University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $41,384 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $47,882 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $43,352 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $83,920 | B |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | $92,289 | C+ |
| Biology | $48,327 | D |
| Teacher Education | $38,951 | D |
| Social Work | $46,705 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $51,386 | D |
| Business Administration and Management | $57,724 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing produces 118 confirmed graduates at $68,633 year-one and $83,920 at year four, grade B on $27,370 median debt. At an $11,040 net price, nursing is among the strongest value propositions in EKU's portfolio - graduates enter Kentucky's healthcare labor market with median first-year earnings well above the state median household income. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.399 means graduates owe approximately 5 months of annual earnings.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is EKU's largest confirmed-graduate program at 170 graduates, earning a D grade: $31,548 year-one, $47,882 at year four, debt-to-earnings 0.792 on $25,000 median debt. EKU has historical identity as a criminal justice institution, and the program is large - but the outcomes are weak. Year-one earnings of $31,548 in Kentucky produce a debt-to-earnings ratio that is difficult to service comfortably. The four-year trajectory to $47,882 shows meaningful growth, but that growth depends on career advancement in policing, corrections, and law enforcement that is not guaranteed.
Psychology
Psychology is EKU's second-largest confirmed-graduate program at 262 graduates, earning a D grade: $28,273 year-one, $41,384 at year four, debt-to-earnings 0.978 on $27,645 median debt. Year-one earnings are $28,273. Graduates owe nearly exactly their annual pre-tax income. The D grade reflects a structural problem with psychology as a terminal bachelor's degree - without graduate education, psychology graduates enter the labor market with limited credential value.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 59.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Eastern Kentucky University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 77.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 440-550 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 440-530 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-25 |
| Enrollment | 12,318 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,826 |
EKU's 77.6% admission rate is broadly accessible. The institution does not appear to use selective academic thresholds. Prospective students should focus their evaluation on program-specific outcomes rather than institutional reputation - EKU's B-grade healthcare and construction programs represent genuinely different financial prospects than its D-grade criminal justice and psychology programs, despite sharing the same campus and tuition structure.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky University (this school) | 39 | $11,040 | $45,795 |
| University of Kentucky | 69 | $18,851 | $59,025 |
| Eastern Michigan University | 42 | $15,407 | $51,793 |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| Coastal Carolina University | 36 | $13,966 | $47,258 |
| Kentucky State University | 9 | $8,040 | $36,382 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Eastern Kentucky University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
EKU admits 77.6% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 440-550 Math and 440-530 Reading; ACT composite 19-25. With 12,318 enrolled students and a 41.1% Pell grant rate, EKU serves a predominantly lower- and middle-income Kentucky student body. The institution has historical strength in applied public safety programs - fire protection, criminal justice, homeland security - that attract students seeking careers in Kentucky's public sector. Students who enter EKU's healthcare, safety technology, or construction programs have access to outcomes that substantially outperform the institutional median. Students who enter criminal justice, psychology, education, or liberal arts do not see that same earnings lift.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Eastern Kentucky University scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $11,040 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,795 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 17.1 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: its 50.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Eastern Kentucky University: Common Questions
Is Eastern Kentucky University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Eastern Kentucky University scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $11,040 a year after aid against $45,795 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 17.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Eastern Kentucky University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $11,040 a year, or roughly $44,160 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Eastern Kentucky University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,795 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,995 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Eastern Kentucky University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 17.1 years for Eastern Kentucky University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Eastern Kentucky University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,500, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Eastern Kentucky University?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.