Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma · Public · 99.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Northeastern State University (NSU) earns an overall ROI score of 39 in the Below Benchmark tier, despite reasonably affordable in-state tuition. The headline drag is the 35.4% completion rate, combined with an 18.4-year payback period that signals the average graduate's earnings premium does not efficiently cover their cost. In-state tuition runs $7,810, but net price climbs to $12,710 (notably exceeding tuition due to fees and indirect costs), putting four-year cost at $50,840. Median debt of $17,367 against $33,500 six-year earnings produces a 0.518 debt-to-earnings ratio - acceptable but not strong. Ten-year earnings recover to $45,379, suggesting the typical graduate does see modest wage growth. Repayment is the second weak spot: only 66% of borrowers reduce principal at three years, and that figure drops to 54.4% at five years before partial recovery - a sign of payment instability tied to the rural Oklahoma labor market. The earnings premium is positive at 20.4%, modest but real. NSU's biggest structural challenge is persistence: students who graduate from the school's nursing, computer science, and accounting programs see strong outcomes, but most enrollees never reach those endpoints.
How Northeastern 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 Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate35.4% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period18.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Northeastern State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,810/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,290/yr |
| Average net price | $12,710/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $50,840 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,379 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $17,367 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $184 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 35.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,772 |
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: $7,810/year ($17,290/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 $12,710/year, or roughly $50,840 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 $10,598/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,511/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $17,367, which works out to about $184 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,500) and comes to 0.52, 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 | $10,598 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,827 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,612 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,188 |
| $110,001+ | $19,511 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $10,598 per year and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays less at $9,827 - a slight inversion likely reflecting state-grant interactions. Four-year cost for the lowest brackets is around $39,000-$42,000. Pell and Oklahoma's Promise scholarship help meaningfully, but the cost is still nontrivial for very-low-income families.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $12,612 to $18,188 per year, with the $75,001-$110,000 bracket showing a sharp jump as institutional aid phases out. Four-year cost ranges from $50,000 to $73,000. The math works passably for students completing a strong major; for those who stop out, the debt-without-degree outcome dominates and the financial picture deteriorates fast.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $19,511 per year - approximately $78,000 across four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Northeastern State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $46,102 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $60,651 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $41,705 | D |
| Teacher Education | $43,116 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $96,702 | B+ |
| Accounting | $65,781 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $44,064 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $50,268 | C |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $50,981 | C |
| Computer Science | $67,854 | B+ |
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 NSU's flagship outcome program. Median first-year earnings of $80,792 and four-year earnings of $96,702 are exceptional for a rural Oklahoma regional public, reflecting strong demand for RNs in Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas hospital systems. Median debt of $26,542 yields a 0.329 ratio and a B+ grade. With 74 graduates yearly the program is well-sized and one of the most reliable ROI plays in the entire NSU catalog.
Computer Science
Computer science produces 41 graduates per year with $67,854 four-year earnings and $23,374 of debt - a 0.344 ratio and B+ grade. Graduates feed into the Tulsa-area tech ecosystem and remote roles serving Texas and Arkansas employers.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is the largest professional program at 111 graduates yearly, with $43,690 first-year and $60,651 four-year earnings on $23,056 of debt. The 0.528 ratio earns a C+. Career outcomes cluster in regional Oklahoma corporate operations, retail and hospitality management, and tribal-government roles.
Research and Experimental Psychology
Research and experimental psychology is unexpectedly the largest single program by graduates (133 per year) - a striking concentration. First-year earnings of $32,440 and four-year earnings of $46,102 against $25,029 of debt produce a 0.772 ratio and D grade. The volume here is concerning: a substantial share of NSU graduates exit through a major whose bachelor's-only ROI is structurally weak. Graduate study is essentially required to make the math work.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal arts produces 97 graduates yearly with $31,794 first-year earnings on $30,582 of debt - a 0.962 ratio earning a D. Four-year earnings of $41,705 reflect mediocre wage growth. This is the program where NSU's value proposition breaks down hardest at the bachelor's level. Students should treat this track as a transfer or pre-graduate-school stepping stone, not a terminal credential.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 54.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Northeastern 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 | 99.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 428-543 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 438-593 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-23 |
| Enrollment | 4,772 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 45.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,084 |
NSU is essentially open-access with a 99.6% admit rate. The combination of universal admission and the 35.4% completion rate is consistent with the data: NSU enrolls many students who lack the academic foundation to complete a four-year degree, and the institution does not currently bring those students through to graduation at high rates.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern State University (this school) | 39 | $12,710 | $45,379 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 44 | $13,171 | $47,626 |
| Dalton State College | 41 | $5,012 | $40,251 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
Who Thrives Here
NSU fits Oklahoma residents from rural northeastern Oklahoma, including a substantial Cherokee Nation population given the Tahlequah location. Pell rate is 45.1% and enrollment is 4,772, indicating a heavily working and first-generation student body. Outcomes are strongest for nursing, computer science, accounting, and clinical lab science graduates - all professional pipelines with regional Oklahoma employer demand. Students who arrive with a clear major and strong study habits can extract real value; students drifting through general liberal arts programs face stop-out risk.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Northeastern State University scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,710 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,379 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 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 35.4% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $17,367 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Northeastern State University: Common Questions
Is Northeastern State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Northeastern State University scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,710 a year after aid against $45,379 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Northeastern 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 $12,710 a year, or roughly $50,840 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 Northeastern State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,379 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,579 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 Northeastern 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 18.4 years for Northeastern State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Northeastern State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $17,367, against average earnings of $33,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Northeastern State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 35.4%. 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.