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Northern Michigan University: Northern Michigan University's Academic Mall
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Regional university

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $14,085 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,474 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,369

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$7,697
$30,001–$48,000$7,185
$48,001–$75,000$11,051
$75,001–$110,000$16,324
Over $110,000$22,268

Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,841 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,584
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 39% · Women 61%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
28%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
25%
Total students7,197
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$14,085
Cost of attendance (per year)$27,841
Median federal debt at graduation$21,474
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
52%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
57%
First-year retention78%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$47,107
Admission rate84%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $973 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants28%

Value: Good · Top 37% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Construction Management$91,682
Computing and information science$90,337
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$88,881
Mechanical engineering technology$82,326
Nursing$77,670
Marketing$68,157
Clinical laboratory science$67,522
Finance$63,730
Accounting$62,901
Criminal justice$59,390
Behavioral Sciences$57,325
Speech-language pathology$57,165
Social work$54,836
Economics$52,179
Political science$50,520
Natural resources and conservation$50,300
Entrepreneurship$50,236
Business administration$49,202
Communication studies$47,875
Kinesiology and exercise science$47,613
Secondary education$46,002
Hospitality management$45,797
Teacher education$45,008
Biology$43,698
Psychology$43,349
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$40,825
Writing and rhetoric$39,982
Fine arts$36,228
History$34,318

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Counseling and mental health, Dance, Data Analytics, Data Science, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Electrical engineering technology, English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Family and human development, Film and video, Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management, Geography, Geology and earth science, Human resources, Industrial technology, Information technology, Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations, International relations, Liberal arts, Management information systems, Mathematics, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Music, Neuroscience, Other education, Paralegal studies, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Philosophy, Physics, Physiology and pathology, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Public administration, Public relations, Romance languages, Sociology, Special education, Theatre, Zoology/Animal Biology.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions14%
Business13%
Biology10%
Education10%
Natural resources7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates12%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older14%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,274
SportsNCAA Division II · Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 8%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time71%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$2,812IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 48% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceMarquette Sawyer Regional Airport (SAW)About 14 miles away
Town population21,325Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreMilwaukeeAbout 243 miles away
Typical weather19°F in January · 66°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Marquette, MI

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.810.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault1.080.04
Burglary0.130.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Northern Michigan University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Northern Michigan University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $14,085 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Northern Michigan University?
Northern Michigan University admitted 84% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Northern Michigan University’s graduates do?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $47,107; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,474.

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