NKU is a thriving metropolitan institution located near downtown Cincinnati. As the youngest of Kentucky’s eight state universities—and its only comprehensive university located in a major metropolitan area—NKU boasts a proud 55-year history as a student-ready institution that provides a transformative educational experience at a great value.
Now with more than 15,000 students and nearly 2,000 faculty and staff, NKU has been named one of the world’s most innovative universities, according to rankings from the World Universities with Real Impact. NKU is also in the top tier of colleges and universities in the United States when it comes to economic mobility and the return on investment for low-income students and Pell Grant recipients, according to a recent report by the public policy think tank, Third Way.
NKU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Our president, Dr. Cady Short-Thompson, builds upon this well-deserved reputation and propel NKU to greater distinction regionally and nationally. NKU will be nationally known as a student-ready university that engages in impactful and creative work, empowers its graduates for a fulfilling life and career while improving the vitality of the region.
NKU values its role as an integral part of the Greater Cincinnati region and recognizes the region as a powerful source of knowledge and experience that can enrich every aspect of the university. In fact, more than 82 percent of NKU alumni live and work in the tri-state region. This drives the expansion of academic offerings and creation of new opportunities for hands-on experiential learning that places students alongside leaders of academic research, business and industry.
As the university has grown, so too has the reputation of its academic programs, allowing us to compete for the best faculty and students from across the nation and around the world. The historic success in Division I athletics–including a 2023 Horizon League men’s basketball championship and the fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2017—has brought NKU to a whole new level of public awareness. The profile has never been higher in the state capitol, and the maturing alumni base has never been more engaged.
The Health Innovation Center, which opened in fall 2018, is an anchor for transdisciplinary education and interpersonal training. We’ve partnered with the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and St. Elizabeth Healthcare to maintain a regional medical school campus at NKU. These initiatives, along with enhanced investments in the College of Informatics, College of Health and Human Services, Haile College of Business and our many STEM programs, position the university to remain an innovative leader in the region.
The College of Arts and Sciences offers the most diverse collection of degree programs and the widest array of general education courses. Students will discover something of interest in our classes and leave better prepared to solve problems, create, discover, communicate, and influence their communities and the world around them.
The Haile College of Business is committed to providing a top-quality, well-rounded business education that will equip you with the skills and tools necessary to be successful in today’s challenging world. We do this through the promotion of academic excellence; a focus on building a strong community of faculty, staff, students and alumni; partnerships both locally and globally that all contribute to excellence and engagement in business education.
The College of Education and Human Services offers 10 undergraduate and graduate programs, including a Doctor of Education. The college provides a variety of innovative outreach programs to the local education community through its collaboration with P-12 schools, senior living facilities, and community agencies. For three decades, the college has hosted Dreamfest, which provides talented middle school students a unique on-campus experience.
The College of Health & Human Services is composed of four schools: Nursing; Allied Health; Social Work and Kinesiology, Counseling and Rehabilitative Science. Each school helps prepare our students to face these challenges. All of our programs are fully accredited by their respective professional and/or educational accrediting agencies.
The College of Informatics has emerged as a leader in the art, science, business and technology of information. The college currently offers 14 Bachelor’s degrees and 4 Master’s degrees. The Center for Information Security has been designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the NSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Salmon P. Chase College of Law was founded in 1893 as an evening law school affiliated with the Cincinnati YMCA. Today, Chase offers full-time and part-time programs that provide a holistic legal education while preparing its students to be “practice ready” upon graduation. Degree programs include a Master of Legal Studies and an LL.M. in U.S. Law. Chase graduates routinely outperform their peers on the Kentucky Bar Exam.
Honors College is an opportunity for students to make the most of their college experience. We develop our programs to meet the needs of individual students by working with students to create a curriculum they are passionate about. Honors is simply a way to go beyond the general classroom experience, and learn in a supportive environment dedicated to the student's success.
