Northeastern State University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and families looking for lower cost. graduation rate is below 40%; freshman retention is below 65%. a public school with 4,772 students.
About This School
Northeastern State University is a public institution located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma with approximately 4,772 undergraduate students enrolled. Northeastern State University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 100%. The average net price after financial aid is $12,710 per year. The graduation rate is 35%, and the typical graduate earns $41,000 within 10 years of enrollment.
Northeastern State University is a public university whose main campus is in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow. Northeastern is Oklahoma's oldest institution of higher learning and one of the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Tahlequah is home to the capital of the Cherokee Nation and about 25% of NSU students identify themselves as American Indian. The university has many courses focused on Native American linguistics, and offers Cherokee language education as a major. Some classes are taught in Cherokee for first language speakers.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: at $11,800/year and just $12,000 in median debt at graduation, the cost is genuinely hard to beat, making this a reasonable option for cost-conscious students — particularly those with ties to Oklahoma or interest in serving Cherokee Nation communities. The concern is the 37% graduation rate and 63% freshman retention rate, which suggest many students struggle to finish; before enrolling, it's worth asking honestly whether you have the support system and financial stability to stay on track. If you do graduate, median earnings of $41,000 a decade out are modest but workable given the low debt load.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 20% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Northeastern State University graduates earn most above the national rate in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($96,702 vs $88,910 nationally), and most below it in Computer Science ($67,854 vs $107,009).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 133 | $46,102 | $55,695 | −$9,593 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 111 | $60,651 | $68,257 | −$7,606 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 97 | $41,705 | $53,072 | −$11,367 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 88 | $43,116 | $47,382 | −$4,266 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 74 | $96,702 | $88,910 | +$7,792 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 74 | $65,781 | $76,194 | −$10,413 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 56 | $44,064 | $54,562 | −$10,498 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 55 | $50,268 | $55,378 | −$5,110 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 47 | $50,981 | $66,697 | −$15,716 |
| Computer Science | 41 | $67,854 | $107,009 | −$39,155 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 39 | $45,474 | $51,389 | −$5,915 |
| Social Work | 32 | $54,943 | $51,790 | +$3,153 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (4,772 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Northeastern State University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Northeastern State University?
Northeastern State University has an acceptance rate of 100%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Northeastern State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Northeastern State University has an acceptance rate of 100%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Northeastern State University cost?
The average net price at Northeastern State University is about $12,710 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Northeastern State University?
Northeastern State University has a graduation rate of 35%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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