Morehead State University
Morehead, Kentucky · Public · 77.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Morehead State University is a regional public university in eastern Kentucky that scores 32 on the CampusROI scale, landing it in the Below Benchmark tier despite a low sticker price. The cost picture is the strong point: in-state tuition is just $10,024, the average net price is $9,793, and the four-year total cost is roughly $39,172. The problem is on the earnings side. Median 10-year earnings of $43,197 produce a 21.9-year payback period (sub-score 24), and $22,250 of median federal debt against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry gives a 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 22). The repayment sub-score of 18 (60% three-year repayment) is the weakest input, signaling that a meaningful share of borrowers struggle. The 21% earnings premium over the high-school baseline is real but modest. Bottom line: Morehead is genuinely cheap, which is why it stays out of the lowest scores, but graduates' regional Appalachian Kentucky labor market produces earnings that struggle to outpace even modest debt loads.
How Morehead State 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period21.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Morehead State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,024/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $14,980/yr |
| Average net price | $9,793/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $39,172 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,197 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $236 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,578 |
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: $10,024/year ($14,980/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $9,793/year, or roughly $39,172 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 $7,150/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $15,164/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,250, which works out to about $236 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,000) and comes to 0.74, 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 | $7,150 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,057 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $8,874 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,341 |
| $110,001+ | $15,164 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,150 per year, just slightly above the $30,001-$48,000 bracket at $7,057 - a mild inversion worth flagging but not a serious one. Over four years that is about $28,000-$29,000 of cost. For Pell-eligible Kentucky students this is a low-cost four-year path, and the math works if students complete the degree and choose a marketable major.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001-$75,000 pay $8,874 net annually, while $75,001-$110,000 pays $13,341 - $35,500-$53,400 over four years. These are reasonable price points for a bachelor's degree, but with 10-year median earnings of just $43,197 and a 21.9-year payback period, even modest loan balances take a long time to clear. Cash-flow funding rather than borrowing is the smart play.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $15,164, or about $61,000 over four years. Morehead at full pay is a fit-and-geography choice, not an ROI choice.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Morehead State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $43,422 | D |
| Biology | $65,624 | D |
| Teacher Education | $37,275 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $45,877 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $85,740 | B |
| Social Work | $45,201 | D |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | $76,568 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $55,282 | D |
| Sociology | $50,331 | D |
| Special Education and Teaching | $39,777 | D |
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
Nursing is Morehead's flagship ROI program. Graduates earn $70,523 at one year and $85,740 at four years, against $29,000 of debt - a 0.41 ratio and a B grade. With 50 graduates per year this is also a sizable cohort. The strong outcomes reflect Kentucky's RN labor demand and the fact that BSN graduates have direct, licensure-anchored career paths in regional hospitals (St. Claire HealthCare, UK HealthCare, KentuckyOne). This is the highest-confidence positive ROI track on campus.
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment (CIP 5109) graduates earn $64,504 at one year and $76,850 at four years against $26,000 of debt - a 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. With 28 graduates per year this is one of the strongest ROI paths at Morehead, second only to nursing. Career endpoints typically include radiologic technology, sonography, and respiratory therapy, all of which carry licensure protection and immediate earnings.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest program by graduate count (140 per year) and one of the weakest by ROI. Graduates earn $30,055 at one year and $43,422 at four years against $28,902 of debt - a 0.96 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. This is often a default major for undeclared students; families should treat the 0.96 ratio as a warning that the program produces nearly $1 of debt for every $1 of annual earnings, which is structurally hard to recover from on the standard 10-year repayment plan.
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
Engineering Technologies graduates earn $51,021 at one year and $76,568 at four years against $28,396 of debt - a 0.56 ratio and a C grade.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is one of the largest cohorts at 60 graduates per year. Graduates earn $36,198 at one year and $37,275 at four years against $25,292 of debt - a 0.70 ratio and a C grade. The earnings are typical for Kentucky public-school teaching salaries, which are constrained by state pay schedules. Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility is the most important factor for this cohort financially; without PSLF the math is materially harder.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 51.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 49.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 53.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Morehead State 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 | 77.2% |
| Enrollment | 4,578 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,788 |
Morehead admits 77.2% of applicants, making it broadly accessible. SAT and ACT mid-50% ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, which is consistent with a test-optional posture and a regional access mission. Selectivity is not the gating factor here; readiness for college-level work is. Students who do graduate (52.2%) generally pay back loans, but the 47.8% non-completion outcome is the single biggest financial risk for incoming students.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead State University (this school) | 32 | $9,793 | $43,197 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 39 | $11,040 | $45,795 |
| Fort Lewis College | 33 | $17,296 | $46,349 |
| Winthrop University | 32 | $15,343 | $47,185 |
| Winston-Salem State University | 27 | $13,479 | $45,344 |
| Kentucky State University | 9 | $8,040 | $36,382 |
Who Thrives Here
With 4,578 undergraduates, a 29.6% Pell rate, and an in-state regional Appalachian footprint, Morehead fits Kentucky students who want an affordable bachelor's degree close to home and have a clear preprofessional plan. Outcomes look strong for nursing ($85,740 four-year earnings) and allied health ($76,850); they look quite weak for liberal arts (the 140-graduate-per-year program posts $43,422 with a 0.96 debt ratio). Major selection here is the single largest determinant of whether the math works.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Morehead State University scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $9,793 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,197 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.9 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: weak earnings relative to cost, its 52.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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.
Morehead State University: Common Questions
Is Morehead State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Morehead State University scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $9,793 a year after aid against $43,197 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Morehead State 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 $9,793 a year, or roughly $39,172 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 Morehead State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,197 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,397 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 Morehead State 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 21.9 years for Morehead State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Morehead State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,250, against average earnings of $30,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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 Morehead State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 52.2%. 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.