Application Process

• The academic calendar at NKU includes traditional 16-week fall and spring semesters, 7-week accelerated sessions, plus several summer sessions that vary in length. For purposes of admission to NKU, you may transfer from any type of institution (semesters, quarters, or other units).
• NKU accepts transfer credit from all regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States, and international colleges that meet the accreditation requirements.
• For all students new to NKU, coursework completed with a grade of D- or better (passing) will be evaluated for credit hours toward graduation (excluding developmental or remedial coursework as determined by NKU), but your GPA from any previous college(s) will not be calculated into your GPA at NKU. For details, review our transfer policies.
• You may search for course equivalencies online as an unofficial guide. You will be sent an official course-by-course Transfer Credit Evaluation after your acceptance to NKU.

• To be considered for regular admission, transfer applicants must have a 2.00 GPA. Those with below a 2.0 may not be able to declare certain selective admission majors upon first enrollment at NKU but will still be admitted into a pre- or undeclared major.
• Note: If a student is on suspension from a previous institution, the suspension time must be expired before the student can be admitted to NKU. 
• Students are required to submit all required credentials to be considered for admission. NKU reserves the right to verify authenticity of all submitted educational credentials.
• Transfer applicants are students who have graduated from high school and have previously attempted coursework for credit (other than college credits taken while in high school) at a regionally accredited higher education institution or an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Potential transfer students from a regionally accredited institution or an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and who have 24 or more transferable credit hours from a regionally accredited institution or an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must submit the following:
  • An online application
  • A $40 nonrefundable application fee*
  • Official transcripts from each college attended
• Potential transfer students with fewer than 24 transferable semester (or 36 quarter) hours must supply the following credentials; applicants are evaluated based on the freshman admission standards:
  • An online application
  • A $40 nonrefundable application fee*
  • Official transcripts from each college attended
  • Final and official high school transcript or GED scores. ACT or SAT or COMPASS/ACCUPLACER test scores if unweighted high school GPA is less than a 2.75
• Post-Baccalaureate applicants have received a bachelor’s degree and intend to enroll for additional undergraduate credit as degree-seeking students. Applicants should submit the following:
  • An online application
  • A $40 nonrefundable application fee*
  • Official transcripts from each college attended other than NKU.
• Transfer coursework for a Post-Baccalaureate student is subject to departmental approval and is not evaluated in its entirety. Post-Baccalaureate students are considered to have completed general education requirements.
• During the application process, you will select one of NKU's 80+ academic majors. Please be aware that certain majors offered at NKU belong to selective programs that have additional requirements for admission.

*Fall 2025 applicants and forward - no application fee required.

• Complete the online application and when prompted, make sure to list all colleges ever attended.  
• Pay the non-refundable $40 application fee after submitting your application.* 
• Submit official college transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. You can submit electronically to nkuadmissions@nku.edu or via mail to: 

Northern Kentucky University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
AC 400, Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY 41099

• If you have fewer than 24 credit hours or 36 quarter hours of transferrable credit, you must also submit an official high school transcript or GED scores, and your official ACT, SAT, or COMPASS test scores.

*Fall 2025 applicants and forward - no application fee required.

You can check the status of your online application at any time. Log in using your email address and password you chose when creating your application. Once logged in, click "Detail" to view the status of your application, including a list of the credentials we have received and those we have yet to receive. If you have questions during this time, contact us.

Once we receive all your required credentials, your application for admission will be sent to our team for evaluation. In order to provide you with the most complete and accurate results, this course-by-course evaluation process may take up to 15+ business days. Following that process, the final admission decision will be made and you will be notified via postal mail.

Admitted Transfer Student Checklist

Admitted Post-Baccalaureate Student Checklist

Upon receiving your acceptance packet in the mail, you should complete these tasks first.

• Go to NKU password setup to activate your NKU User ID and create a password, which you will use as your login information for myNKU, your NKU email, and Canvas.
  • Your NKU username can be located on your acceptance letter.
• Pay your $75 Enrollment Confirmation Fee in your myNKU account.
  • This is required for all transfer students except students admitted into an online accelerated program.
    
  • If you participated in a 2NKU program, you are exempt from confirmation and orientation fees, however, you still must complete orientation.
• If your acceptance packet included an Admission Evaluation page stating you are required to participate in placement testing based on your ACT, SAT, or COMPASS scores, you must sign up for and take a placement test before proceeding to register for classes.
• Review your Transfer Credit Evaluation, included in your acceptance packet, to understand the credit you have been awarded at NKU for the courses you successfully completed elsewhere. For more information, see about NKU course codes.
• Participate in Northern Exposure and pay the Northern Exposure Fee.
  
  • Orientation is required for all incoming students. Depending on the number of credit hours you are transferring, this will be either a 1-day experience, or an online experience. You will receive an email within 7 business days of confirming your enrollment about completing your Northern Exposure requirement.
    

If you are still taking classes elsewhere, or if you sent us a preliminary transcript, then you must:

• Print a copy of your current class schedule and bring it to your advising appointment, which you will schedule.

• Send your official final transcript to the NKU Office of Admissions after your final grades have been posted. You must do this to receive financial assistance and continue to register for classes in the future.

• You may also review your transfer credit online at any time. Just log in to myNKU, navigate to the "My Records" section, choose the "Transfer Credit" link, select a college, and click the "Display Equivalency Determination" button.

NKU's Adult and Transfer Center is here for you throughout your entire undergraduate academic career at NKU, until graduation.

• If you ever take additional coursework elsewhere at the undergraduate college level and then continue your degree progress at NKU, send us the official transcript (as you did during the application process) once your grades are posted, and we will update your records. You may review those updates in myNKU at any time.
  
• If you need to seek a different evaluation for one or more of your transfer courses than the evaluation provided to you at the time of admission, refer to NKU's policy that outlines the re-evaluation process for transfer credit.
• If you ever need assistance with your transfer credit at any point while pursuing your degree, contact us.