Northern Kentucky University (NKU)

We are located only seven miles southeast of Cincinnati in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky. NKU is a leader in Greater Cincinnati, Kentucky and the nation as a student-ready university, meeting students where they are in their educatio meeting students where they are in their educational journeys — no matter where they are. Our professors know our students' names and we have been recognized worldwide as a top innovative university and around the region as a leader in return on investment.. From its first days, NKU would be a place where faculty and staff put students at the center of learning and made student success their life’s work. This University is a place where the flame within each student is fueled and the dream within each person is realized. It all began in 1946 at the Trailways Bus Station in Covington, Kentucky. A handful of students and instructors participated in classes offered through the University of Kentucky’s educational extension services. The students were secretaries, recent high school graduates, and World War II veterans on the G.I. Bill. These students took a variety of courses, including beginning math, typing, first-year business classes, and English. The instructors were area high school teachers. In the years that followed, a bipartisan group of members of the Northern Kentucky community lobbied for a new institution, which paved the way for the creation of Northern Kentucky State College in 1968. Just a year later, more than 1,000 students were enrolled as the institution began to prepare for a move to its new home in Highland Heights. The campus grew quickly, soon adding a law school and a residential village. In 1976, the institution became a university. The campus continued to expand, with enrollment topping 8,000 students in 1980 and 10,000 students less than a decade later. Year after year, the University responded to increasing student demand by establishing new academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including the doctoral degree. The 1990s saw unprecedented community engagement and new strategic partnerships, all of which brought national recognition to the University for its contribution to the economic and social vitality of the Northern Kentucky region. NKU would become a perennial member of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. And when the Carnegie Foundation created a new designation for community engagement, NKU would be part of its inaugural class. Our students also excelled in athletics, bringing home three NCAA Division II national championships in the first decade of the 21st century – women’s basketball titles in 2000 and 2008 as well as a men’s soccer crown in 2010. With new facilities, the University envisioned a transition to the highest level of intercollegiate athletics, and we began the reclassification as an NCAA Division I institution in 2012. From its first days, NKU would be a place where faculty and staff put students at the center of learning and made student success their life’s work. This University is a place where the flame within each student is fueled and the dream within each person is realized. NKU will be nationally recognized for being a student-ready, regionally-engaged university that empowers diverse learners for economic and social mobility. We will promote a culture that fosters and celebrates excellence in all that we do. We will engage in honest, fair, and ethical behavior with integrity at the heart of every decision and action. We will foster a community of belonging by embracing equity, diversity, and inclusiveness. We will approach our work—how we teach, engage and serve—with creativity and innovation. We will maintain a climate of collegiality built on respect and characterized by open communication and shared responsibility. Sustainability at NKU takes on many different forms. From finding ways to save energy to giving students the tools to become the next sustainability champions, sustainability can be found in every corner of our campus. The university recognizes its environmental responsibility and has therefore committed to the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. In time, NKU will grow, technologies will advance, and the environment will change; thus, our strategies for achieving our goals will continue to evolve. We invite you to explore our website and follow our journey. ...view more