Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublic

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan·Public, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·nmu.edu
6-yr Graduation
52%
+6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
7,409
peer median 7,308
Avg net price
$17,485
+$4.9k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

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

Applied
12,204
12,204 candidates competed
Admitted
10,254
84.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,567
15.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
52%+6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
35%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
53%
Full-time retention
78%

Pell equity

13.0pp gap
Pell recipients
43%
Non-Pell
56%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

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

Of 144 Title IV programs, 37 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 107 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
144
Passing
37
25.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

144programs
  • Passing37 · 25.7%
  • No Data107 · 74.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
3
Safe
32
No data
107

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.

37
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+4.0%
$34,318 vs $32,989
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+9.8%
$36,228 vs $32,989
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+21.1%
$39,957 vs $32,989
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+21.2%
$39,982 vs $32,989
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+23.8%
$40,825 vs $32,989
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+30.7%
$59,272 vs $45,360
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+31.4%
$43,349 vs $32,989
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+32.5%
$43,698 vs $32,989

Near the line (±5%)

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

1
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+4.0%
+$1,329

Debt vs earnings

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

32
History
Bachelor Degree · History
73%
$25,000 debt · $34,318 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
71%
$25,595 debt · $36,228 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
62%
$28,000 debt · $45,008 earn
Hospitality Administration/Management
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
59%
$27,000 debt · $45,797 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
56%
$22,375 debt · $39,982 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
53%
$23,250 debt · $43,698 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
50%
$23,750 debt · $47,875 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
48%
$20,943 debt · $43,349 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1916Next review Aug 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 10

Action history · 7

  1. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  2. Feb 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  3. Feb 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
  4. Jun 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  5. Jun 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,098
$30–48k$11,494
$48–75k$15,948
$75–110k$20,616
$110k+$22,762

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

Avg net price
$17,485
+$4,866vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $12,620
Federal loans
50.7%
In-state tuition
$13,304
Out-of-state
$18,800

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 2,438 students received $13.4M in Pell grants, alongside $27.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,438
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$13.4M
$13,418,372 total
Direct Loans
$27.9M
5,387 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.7M
2,069 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.6M
2,652 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.1M
221 loan awards
Parent PLUS$6.4M
434 loan awards
Grad PLUS$89K
11 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.

Of 1,972 borrowers who entered repayment, 36 (1.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.8%
-0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,972
Defaulted
36
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.5%
2017
9.3%
2018
7.9%
2019
1.8%
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 Michigan

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs161
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,211 total completions
01Health Professions
22918.9%
02Business
20216.7%
03Education
17314.3%
04Biological Sciences
13010.7%
05Liberal Arts
1018.3%
06Natural Resources
857.0%
07Psychology
776.4%
08Parks/Recreation
725.9%
09Social Sciences
715.9%
10Visual/Performing Arts
715.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
7,409
12-mo unduplicated
8,049
Undergraduate
7,251
Graduate
798

Gender split

Men
38%3,091
Women
62%4,958

Race / ethnicity composition

White
85.2%
Hispanic
4.4%
Two or more
3.6%
Unknown
2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.4%
Black
1.4%
Non-resident
1.0%
Asian
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
457
226 M · 231 W
Women athletes
50.5%
Athletic aid
$4.8M
Total student aid
Budget
$14.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.4M
$2.4M
Recruiting expense
$190K
$44K
Head-coach salaries
$95K
$45K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Football
95 M ·
$2.3M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
33 M · 32 W
$1.3M
Soccer
27 M · 37 W
$1.3M
Track and Field (Outdoor)
· 46 W
$410K
Track and Field (Indoor)
· 46 W
$432K
Basketball
17 M · 17 W
$1.7M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.73
19 offenses · 6,970 students

3-year trend

1.632 yrs ago2.501 yr ago2.73Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
49
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
24
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
5

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
10
Fondling
4
Statutory rape
3
Aggravated assault
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

19total
  • On campus18
  • Non-campus1

Includes 11 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
9
Stalking
13 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons20
Drugs136
Liquor479

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
323

Northern Michigan vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Northern Michigan selected for federal comparison reporting.

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 Michigan University
52%7,409$17,485Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Indiana University-South Bend
40%83.8%4,631$8,364Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
57%91.8%8,233$13,726Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Purdue University Fort Wayne
36%83.9%7,206$11,513Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Indiana University-Southeast
39%84.5%3,736$8,257Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
65%82.3%10,049$16,948Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median46%83.9%7,308$12,620

Frequently asked questions about Northern Michigan University

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

What is the graduation rate at Northern Michigan University?

Northern Michigan University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 52% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Northern Michigan University?

Northern Michigan University reports a total enrollment of 7,409 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Northern Michigan University?

The average net price at Northern Michigan University is $17,485 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Northern Michigan University?

Northern Michigan University's yield rate is 15.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Northern Michigan University located?

Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan 49855-5301.

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