R2 ResearchPublicHSI

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona·Public, 4-year or above·Southwest·nau.edu
6-yr Graduation
61%
+8.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
28,467
peer median 31,174
Avg net price
$14,158
-$1.1k vs R2 Research
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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
35,100
35,100 candidates competed
Admitted
31,453
89.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
4,975
15.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
61%+8.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
48%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
61%
Full-time retention
75%

Pell equity

12.9pp gap
Pell recipients
53%963 of 1812
Non-Pell (all)
66%2130 of 3232
Subsidized loan, no Pell
58%418 of 721
No Federal Aid
68%1712 of 2511

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.9-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 250 Title IV programs, 70 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 179 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
250
Passing
70
28.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.4% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.4%
-0.2pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

250programs
  • Passing70 · 28.0%
  • No Data179 · 71.6%
  • Failing1 · 0.4%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
3
Watch
4
Safe
63
No data
179

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.

71
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-5.3%
$34,073 vs $35,969
Anthropology
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
+2.9%
$57,283 vs $55,693
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+3.8%
$37,350 vs $35,969
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.7%
$38,380 vs $35,969
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+10.1%
$39,597 vs $35,969
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+21.7%
$43,792 vs $35,969
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+22.6%
$44,082 vs $35,969
Bilingual Multilingual and Multicultural Education
Master's Degree · Education
+23.2%
$57,142 vs $46,391

Near the line (±5%)

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

2
Anthropology
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
+2.9%
+$1,590
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+3.8%
+$1,381

Debt vs earnings

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

79
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
102%
$83,743 debt · $82,299 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
71%
$24,343 debt · $34,073 earn
Bilingual Multilingual and Multicultural Education
Master's Degree · Education
65%
$36,950 debt · $57,142 earn
Anthropology
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
61%
$34,713 debt · $57,283 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
59%
$22,500 debt · $38,380 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
56%
$69,409 debt · $123,400 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
56%
$34,084 debt · $60,735 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
56%
$36,979 debt · $66,606 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1930Next review Aug 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 16

Action history · 17

  1. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  2. Jul 2024Initial Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  3. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  4. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
  5. Jan 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics

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$9,709
$30–48k$10,398
$48–75k$13,330
$75–110k$18,050
$110k+$20,686

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

Avg net price
$14,158
-$1,123vs R2 Research median $15,281
Federal loans
31.6%
In-state tuition
$13,009
Out-of-state
$29,881

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, 8,876 students received $50.1M in Pell grants, alongside $127.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
8,876
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$50.1M
$50,084,057 total
Direct Loans
$127.7M
15,480 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

9k
’20
8k
’21
8k
’22
8k
’23
9k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$21.7M
5,367 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$23.2M
5,733 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$32.3M
1,836 loan awards
Parent PLUS$32.4M
1,792 loan awards
Grad PLUS$18.2M
752 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 7,272 borrowers who entered repayment, 128 (1.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.7%
-0.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
7,272
Defaulted
128
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.6%
2017
6.8%
2018
4.6%
2019
1.7%
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 Northern Arizona

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs192
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

6,156 total completions
01Health Professions
1,29121.0%
02Business
97915.9%
03Computer Sciences
96615.7%
04Education
79012.8%
05Psychology
4918.0%
06Biological Sciences
4276.9%
07Social Sciences
4156.7%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
2804.5%
09Communication
2694.4%
10Engineering
2484.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
28,467
12-mo unduplicated
31,387
Undergraduate
24,919
Graduate
6,468

Gender split

Men
37%11,673
Women
63%19,714

Race / ethnicity composition

White
52.3%
Hispanic
27.1%
Two or more
5.7%
Asian
4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
3.9%
Black
3.0%
Non-resident
2.1%
Unknown
1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
353
203 M · 150 W
Women athletes
42.5%
Athletic aid
$6.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$27.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.9M
$2.8M
Recruiting expense
$176K
$135K
Head-coach salaries
$182K
$106K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
137 M · 106 W
$3.1M
Football
120 M · —
$6.8M
Soccer
— · 38 W
$1.1M
Basketball
14 M · 13 W
$3.2M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
— · 26 W
$970K
Tennis
10 M · 7 W
$794K

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
6.00
169 offenses · 28,186 students

3-year trend

3.662 yrs ago3.491 yr ago6.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
372
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
214
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
11
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
11

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
87
Burglary
27
Rape
18
Fondling
16
Aggravated assault
15
Arson
3
Statutory rape
2
Robbery
1

By location

169total
  • On campus166
  • Non-campus1
  • Public property2

Includes 62 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

42
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
31
Stalking
76 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion1
  • National origin1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons24
Drugs94
Liquor24257

Residence-hall fires

  • Sechrist Hall1 fire
    Perpetrator lit door decoration on fireDamage $100-$999
  • Honors College2 fires
    Perpetrator lit a door decoration on fireDamage $100-$999
  • Honors College2 fires
    Perpetrator lit a door decoration on fireDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 18 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
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,134

Northern Arizona vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Northern Arizona 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
SubjectNorthern Arizona University
61%—28,467$14,158R2 Research
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
0%66.7%72,994$13,971R2 Research
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
51%94.2%33,881$4,831R2 Research
Sam Houston State University
55%90.3%21,039$16,404R2 Research
Texas State University
55%89.3%40,674$16,805R2 Research
Tarleton State University
48%89.6%17,433$20,783R2 Research
Peer group median53%89.6%31,174$15,281

Institutions like Northern Arizona

Explore the federal data for institutions in Northern Arizona's comparison group.

IPEDS

Northern Arizona Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, & Analytics (SPIRA)
Reports to Office of the President
Email
Institutional.Research [at] nau.edu
Phone
928-523-5804
Address
Room 115 Building 51, Babbitt Administrative Center, 1900 S Knoles Drive PO Box: 4132, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4132

SPIRA collaborates with other university units to develop data, information, analyses, and reports to assist the University in achieving its goals. We also provide data, analyses, and projections for decision-making, coordinate institutional studies, and extract official data for internal and external reports.

Visit IR office page

Common Data Set

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

Acceptance rate
89.6%
Accessible
Yield
12.8%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
27,184
22,203 UG · 4,981 grad
6-yr graduation rate
59%
First-year retention
77%
Student–faculty ratio
19 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$23,277
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
39,685
Admitted
35,561
Enrolled
4,540

39,685 applied → 35,561 admitted (89.6%) → 4,540 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
89.6%

Accessible — 89.6% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male88.3%
female90.4%
unknown87.3%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1010
Median
1175
75th
1280

Middle 50% SAT 1010–1280 (median 1175).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
19
Median
23
75th
26

Middle 50% ACT 19–26 (median 23).

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth0.25%
top quarter0.55%
top half0.83%
bottom half0.17%
bottom quarter0.03%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
Academic GPA
Considered2
Rigor of secondary school recordState residency
Not Considered15
Class rankStandardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendation(s)InterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$32,330
Tuition
$12,00037%
Fees
$1,6255%
Room & board
$15,80549%
Books
$9003%
Other
$2,0006%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $32,330 (2026-2027).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$32,330
Net (aided)
$23,277
Avg need grant
$9,053

Sticker $32,330 → about $23,277 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($9,053); 65% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants, awarded by the college59.5%
Federal30.8%
State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located7.0%
Scholarships/grants from external sources2.7%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
45%
Avg debt
$21,732

45% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $21,732 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
59%
Retention
77%

6-year graduation rate 59%; first-year retention 77%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students59%
Pell recipients52%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 7 pts below the overall rate (52% vs 59%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students142
10-19 students523
20-29 students685
30-39 students427
40-49 students148
50-99 students245
100+ students82

30% of classes have under 20 students; 15% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
19 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
61%
Women faculty
57%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Health professions and related programs15.59%
Business/marketing15.24%
Psychology8.23%
Education7.7%
Biological/life sciences7.5%
Social sciences6.91%
Communication/journalism4.93%
Liberal arts/general studies4.6%

STEM-dominant: ~16% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic50.4%
Hispanic/Latino28.1%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic5.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic4.6%
U.S. Nonresident (International)4.1%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic3.2%
Asian, non-Hispanic2.2%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown1.5%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.2%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
912
Share
4%

4% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
22,20382%
Graduate
4,98118%

22,203 undergraduates and 4,981 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
3,092
Admitted
3,033
Enrolled
1,498

3,092 transfer applicants → 3,033 admitted (98.1%) → 1,498 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Northern Arizona University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Northern Arizona.

What is the graduation rate at Northern Arizona University?

Northern Arizona University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 61% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Northern Arizona University?

Northern Arizona University reports a total enrollment of 28,467 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Northern Arizona University?

The average net price at Northern Arizona University is $14,158 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Northern Arizona University?

Northern Arizona University's yield rate is 15.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Northern Arizona University located?

Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona 86011-4092.

Who runs Institutional Research at Northern Arizona University?

Northern Arizona University's IR work is done by the Office of Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, & Analytics (SPIRA), which reports to Office of the President.

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 →

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