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Public · Small city campus · verified rankings · federal data

Northern Arizona University

Students comparing Northern Arizona University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Flagstaff, Arizona22,903 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 52Public universityResearch universityU.S. News ranked

The short answer

Northern Arizona University: U.S. News ranks it #242 on National Universities (2026); Forbes ranks it #353 on America's Top Colleges (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #184 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); WSJ ranks it #441 on Best Colleges in the U.S. (2026); Niche ranks it #426 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 4 stars; QS ranks it #1076 on World University Rankings (2026). It enrolls 22,903 undergraduates, admits 89.6% of applicants, and posts a 61.3% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $29,881; aid recipients pay $14,158 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $54,384.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
89.6%

Above the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$14,158

68% below the $44,313 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$54,384

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
61.3%

Above the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$19,000

Above the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedNorthern Arizona University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where Northern Arizona ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National Universities#242of 436National universities
Forbes2026America's Top Colleges#353of 500Top colleges (Forbes)
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars#184of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.#441of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B#426of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value Colleges4 starsListedBest value (Money)
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University Rankings#1076of 1,504World (QS)

Methodology sensitivity: Northern Arizona's position moves 76 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Northern Arizona

Northern Arizona University is a public institution in Flagstaff, Arizona. Federal data show 75.5% first-year retention and a 19:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $14,158 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $44,313 sticker cost against $14,158 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing Northern Arizona University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$13,009

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$29,881

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$14,432

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $44,313 a year, but the average family pays $14,158 — a 68% difference. 31.3% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Northern Arizona's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    19:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    75.5%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    22,903

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Northern Arizona: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $29,881 and on-campus room and board is $14,432, for a published total of $44,313 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $14,158.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 89.6%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

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