Northern Arizona University — College Profile

About

Nestled at the base of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a prominent public research institution renowned for its leading programs in forestry, environmental science, education, and hotel and restaurant management. The university distinguishes itself through its deep commitment to sustainability, exceptional support for Indigenous students, and the Access2Excellence initiative, which guarantees tuition-free education to eligible Arizona residents. Campus culture revolves around a spirited, close-knit community with a passion for the outdoors, where students take full advantage of Flagstaff's four distinct seasons through skiing, hiking, and exploring the world's largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest.

Wikipedia:Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. The university is divided into seven academic colleges offering about 130 undergraduate and graduate programs, and various academic certificates. Students can take classes and conduct research in Flagstaff, online, and at more than 20 statewide locations, including the Phoenix Biomedical Core research campus. As of fall 2023, 28,194 students were enrolled with 21,550 at the Flagstaff campus.

Location

Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-4092 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

PHX · Phoenix

123 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$13,009$29,881

Housing & food (on campus)$14,432$14,432

Books & supplies$900$900

Cost of attendance$29,933$46,805 est.

Average net price$14,158Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$29,881

In-state: $13,009

Housing & food (on campus)$14,432

Books & supplies$900

Cost of attendance$46,805 est.

In-state: $29,933

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $14,158

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$9,709

$30–48k

$10,398

$48–75k

$13,330

$75–110k

$18,050

$110k+

$20,686

Your family's actual price → Northern Arizona University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$8,328

Share of first-years who get one36%

Source: Northern Arizona University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

59%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

48%

Back for yr 2

75%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

59% graduated · 28% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 13% left or unknown

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$47,308

10 yrs after entry$54,384

Debt

Median at graduation$19,000

Monthly payment$201

Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$23.7k

90th percentile$31,000

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

90%

Test policy

Not required

Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at Northern Arizona University: Not considered (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: Northern Arizona University's Common Data Set for 2025-26 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If Northern Arizona University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 37%Women 63%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

19 : 1

Pell grant

31%

First-gen

39%

Family income

$41,212

Independent

34%

Veterans

Age at entry

24.0

Part-time

13%

Race & ethnicity

White

52%

Hispanic

27%

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

AI/AN

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · EADA 2024-25

Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$47,308

After 10 yrs

$54,384

Psychology, General451

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing419

Biology, General414

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities341

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods256

Criminology253

Business Administration, Management and Operations246

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness179

Public Health141

Social Work135

Finance and Financial Management Services129

Hospitality Administration/Management122

Marketing121

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas118

Natural Resources Conservation and Research104

Special Education and Teaching103

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$283M

Full-time faculty

72%

Faculty salary

$9,847/mo

Teaching spend

$7,753

per student

Federal loans

32%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$94M research spending · 89 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, inclusive admissions