Doctoral/ProfessionalPublic

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, Kentucky·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·eku.edu
6-yr Graduation
50%
-5.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
15,673
peer median 15,510
Avg net price
$11,040
-$764 vs Doctoral/Professional
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
17,024
17,024 candidates competed
Admitted
13,212
77.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,635
19.9% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
50%-5.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
41%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
55%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

16.7pp gap
Pell recipients
41%441 of 1079
Non-Pell (all)
58%744 of 1289
Subsidized loan, no Pell
49%178 of 367
No Federal Aid
61%566 of 922

Non-Pell students graduate at a 16.7-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 171 Title IV programs, 53 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 118 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
171
Passing
53
31.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

171programs
  • Passing53 · 31.0%
  • No Data118 · 69.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
5
Watch
12
Safe
36
No data
118

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

53
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+3.4%
$35,203 vs $34,058
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.8%
$35,365 vs $34,058
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+7.3%
$54,123 vs $50,451
American Sign Language
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
+7.9%
$36,755 vs $34,058
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+9.5%
$45,142 vs $41,236
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+10.6%
$37,673 vs $34,058
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+11.9%
$46,153 vs $41,236
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+14.4%
$38,951 vs $34,058

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+3.4%
+$1,145
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.8%
+$1,307

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

45
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
84%
$45,701 debt · $54,288 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
76%
$27,000 debt · $35,365 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
76%
$41,000 debt · $54,123 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Bachelor Degree · Education
72%
$28,131 debt · $38,991 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
72%
$32,332 debt · $45,142 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
68%
$25,741 debt · $37,673 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
64%
$24,812 debt · $38,951 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
62%
$28,697 debt · $46,153 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1928Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 16

Action history · 20

  1. Apr 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  2. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  3. Jul 2024Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Dec 2023Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$8,591
$30–48k$8,005
$48–75k$10,382
$75–110k$14,384
$110k+$17,009

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$11,040
-$764vs Doctoral/Professional median $11,804
Federal loans
40.7%
In-state tuition
$10,320
Out-of-state
$21,230

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 7,120 students received $38.7M in Pell grants, alongside $68.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
7,120
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$38.7M
$38,749,918 total
Direct Loans
$68.1M
11,979 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

5k
’20
5k
’21
5k
’22
6k
’23
7k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$17.9M
4,788 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$21.9M
5,201 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$20.8M
1,367 loan awards
Parent PLUS$6.1M
481 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.4M
142 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 4,112 borrowers who entered repayment, 121 (2.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.9%
+0.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,112
Defaulted
121
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
10.2%
2017
10.4%
2018
7.5%
2019
2.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Eastern Kentucky

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs125
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,763 total completions
01Health Professions
57921.0%
02Business
48017.4%
03Security/Protective
37513.6%
04Psychology
35212.7%
05Education
2729.8%
06Liberal Arts
2478.9%
07Public Admin
1334.8%
08Engineering Tech
1314.7%
09Parks/Recreation
1264.6%
10Biological Sciences
682.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
15,673
12-mo unduplicated
18,471
Undergraduate
15,457
Graduate
3,014

Gender split

Men
39%7,124
Women
61%11,347

Race / ethnicity composition

White
79.7%
Black
6.9%
Hispanic
5.6%
Two or more
5.0%
Asian
1.1%
Unknown
0.8%
Non-resident
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
395
246 M · 149 W
Women athletes
37.7%
Athletic aid
$6.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$25.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.5M
$2.7M
Recruiting expense
$163K
$94K
Head-coach salaries
$148K
$79K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
93 M · 60 W
$1.9M
Football
122 M · —
$6.8M
Baseball
48 M · —
$1.3M
Soccer
— · 32 W
$927K
Basketball
17 M · 14 W
$3.8M
Tennis
12 M · 11 W
$738K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.87
28 offenses · 15,008 students

3-year trend

2.222 yrs ago2.021 yr ago1.87Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
88
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
38
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
10

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
10
Burglary
9
Fondling
6
Arson
1
Aggravated assault
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

28total
  • On campus28

Includes 18 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
3
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs157
Liquor068

Residence-hall fires

  • Clay Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Grand Campus Bldg. 11 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Scholar House Bldg. 31 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
491

Eastern Kentucky vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Eastern Kentucky selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectEastern Kentucky University
50%—15,673$11,040Doctoral/Professional
Northern Kentucky University
54%67.6%15,347$8,191Doctoral/Professional
Western Kentucky University
58%93.9%16,291$10,990Doctoral/Professional
Florida Gulf Coast University
57%63.4%16,612$12,568Doctoral/Professional
University of West Georgia
43%51.6%14,337$12,786Doctoral/Professional
Western Carolina University
60%81.8%11,686$13,315Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median55%67.6%15,510$11,804

Institutions like Eastern Kentucky

Explore the federal data for institutions in Eastern Kentucky's comparison group.

IPEDS

Eastern Kentucky Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Effectiveness & Research
Email
bethany.miller [at] eku.edu
Phone
859-622-0269
Address
Whitlock Building, Room 540, 521 Lancaster Ave, Richmond, KY 40475

IE&R collects, analyzes, and interprets institutional data to provide information for planning, policy formation, and decision making within the university.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Chad Adkins
    Executive Director, Institutional Research & Data Analytics

Common Data Set

Eastern Kentucky's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Total enrollment
14,465
12,070 UG · 2,395 grad
6-yr graduation rate
52%
First-year retention
79%
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$15,968
after avg need-based grant
01

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$22,779
Tuition
$9,26641%
Fees
$5402%
Room & board
$10,17345%
Books
$1,2005%
Other
$1,6007%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $22,779 (2021-2022).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$22,779
Net (aided)
$15,968
Avg need grant
$6,811

Sticker $22,779 → about $15,968 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($6,811); 74% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Total Scholarships/Grants26.8%
Total Self-Help20.7%
Student loans from all sources18.6%
Federal10.4%
Institutional9.3%
State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located6.6%
Federal Work-Study2.1%
Parent Loans2.0%
State and other work-study/employment1.3%
Athletic Awards0.9%
Tuition Waivers0.7%
Scholarships/grants from external sources0.4%

9% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
66%
Avg debt
$26,368

66% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $26,368 on average.

02

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
52%
Retention
79%

6-year graduation rate 52%; first-year retention 79%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students52%
Pell recipients44%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 9 pts below the overall rate (44% vs 52%).

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students296
10-19 students527
20-29 students513
30-39 students200
40-49 students46
50-99 students59
100+ students2

50% of classes have under 20 students; 4% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
52%
Women faculty
56%

Key faculty indicators.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic82.0%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic6.1%
Hispanic/Latino4.2%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic3.9%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown1.4%
Nonresident aliens1.1%
Asian, non-Hispanic1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
128
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
12,07083%
Graduate
2,39517%

12,070 undergraduates and 2,395 graduate students.

05

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,547
Admitted
1,478
Enrolled
895

1,547 transfer applicants → 1,478 admitted (95.5%) → 895 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Eastern Kentucky University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Eastern Kentucky.

What is the graduation rate at Eastern Kentucky University?

Eastern Kentucky University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 50% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Eastern Kentucky University?

Eastern Kentucky University reports a total enrollment of 15,673 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Eastern Kentucky University?

The average net price at Eastern Kentucky University is $11,040 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Eastern Kentucky University?

Eastern Kentucky University's yield rate is 19.9%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Eastern Kentucky University located?

Eastern Kentucky University is located in Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102.

Who runs Institutional Research at Eastern Kentucky University?

Eastern Kentucky University's IR work is done by the Institutional Effectiveness & Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Eastern Kentucky University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card