It has been another good week for Northern Kentucky University as it appears at the top of two national rankings in two new reports.
These are the latest in a series of recognitions NKU has received for providing the best value educational experience in Greater Cincinnati and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. RecentlySmartAsset ranked NKU No. 1 on return on investment in Kentucky. And World’s Universities with Real Impact named NKU as one of the most innovative universities in the world, higher than any institution in the Greater Cincinnati region and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
• Top 20% in economic mobility
Northern Kentucky University is 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 new report by the public policy think tank, Third Way.
“This new report is a reflection that NKU is well on its way to realizing its vision of becoming nationally recognized as an institution that empowers diverse learners for economic and social mobility,” NKU President Ashish Vaidya said.
Success by Design challenges the campus community to become a more student-ready, regionally engaged institution. The framework outlines three pillars of student success: Access, Completion and Career & Community Engagement. The “access” pillar of student success includes access to an affordable education through expanded programs, services, and delivery options. The “completion” pillar of student success assures that students who are first-generation, post-traditional, low-income, and underrepresented earn highly valued degrees, certificates, and credentials. Finally, the “career & community engagement” pillar guides NKU in contributing to economic, social, and civic prosperity of the region through talent development, research and innovation, and the stewardship of place.
NKU, ranked nationally at No. 241 in the Third Way Economic Mobility Index, is the only Greater Cincinnati college or university in the top tier. Alice Lloyd College is the only other institution in the Commonwealth that is ranked in the top tier.
The Third Way Economic Mobility Index aims to rank and evaluate universities based on how they serve low-income students. The tier system is used to break down the rankings by placement percentage. By placing in the top tier, NKU is among the top 20 percent in economic mobility.
• Best online history program in state.
Northern Kentucky University’s baccalaureate online history program is among the best in the United States, according to new rankings by UniversityHQ. NKU’s online history program is ranked by UniversityHQ as the best in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and No. 19 in the country.
“We are honored by the recognition from UniversityHQ,” Dr. Burke Miller, chair of the Department of History, said. “This is a result of the dedication of our faculty and staff and the student-first values of our university. We are proud of the hard work of everyone within our department.”
Among the factors used to compile the rankings include cost of tuition, admission rate, retention rate, graduates’ salary, number of programs offered, and reputation and expert opinion. For more on the factors and methodology, click here.
Professors Debra Meyers and Paul Tenkotte established NKU’s online history program program in 2012 to serve students unable to meet their post-secondary goals in a traditional campus setting. The program has helped active military personnel, expectant mothers, people living with illness or disability, workers forced to relocate and many others to achieve their academic dreams.
Each year, the history department reviews the online history major to ensure a rigorous educational experience equal to any other program online or on campus. In recent years, some of NKU’s best instructors began teaching accelerated online courses in a seven-week format to serve working students. In addition, NKU has increased the variety and frequency of virtual offerings, encouraged innovative course design and created a virtual advising program.
For more information on the NKU Department of History and the programs it offers, click here.
