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Colleges / Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ 4-Year Public
Acceptance Rate80%

About NAU

Northern Arizona University Overview

Northern Arizona University is a public, state school in a small town setting in Flagstaff, Arizona. NAU was founded in 1899 and now enrolls around 29,569 students a year, including 25,230 undergrads. NAU provides on-campus housing for up to 10,060 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at NAU! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of NAU's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? NAU students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? NAU has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? NAU has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at NAU on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at NAU on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is August 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should find out if they got admitted by July 1.

2021 NAU Facts At-A-Glance
Academic Calendar Semester
Overall Acceptance Rate 82%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate ED not offered
Early Action Acceptance Rate EA not offered
Average GPA 3.7
Applicants Submitting SAT scores 29%
Percent of Need Met 65.1%
Average First-Year Financial Aid Package $14,753

Is NAU a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a look at all of these areas to get a clearer idea of what NAU offers and if it could be the right college for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for Northern Arizona University

It is moderately difficult to get into NAU. NAU admitted 82% of all applicants in 2021. Last year, 37,386 students applied to NAU and 30,523 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at NAU

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 76% of students who start at NAU come back the next year.The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outlook NAU Graduates

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 57% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

The average starting salary for recent NAU grads is $53,021 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

NAU's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. NAU's endowment was valued at $33.9 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. The school spends $5,867 for each full-time student enrolled.

Tuition and Financial Aid at NAU

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. NAU meets 65.1% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $14,753 a year.

In 2020, students graduated with an average of $22,587 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at NAU. Based on this information, how does NAU sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is NAU a good school for you?

If Northern Arizona University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Looking for Schools?

To learn more about NAU, choose from the options below:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

NAU Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the most popular colleges and universities in the U.S.

Where is NAU?

NAU is located in the small town setting of Flagstaff, Arizona.

If you want to see NAU for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take I-40 and I-17 to Flagstaff, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Flagstaff Pulliam.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what NAU and Flagstaff are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in Arizona?

See a full list of colleges in Arizona and save your favorites to your college list.

College Info

South San Francisco Flagstaff, AZ 86011

Campus Setting: Small Town

NAU Application Deadline

First-Year Applications are Due

Aug 1

Transfer Applications are Due

Continuous processing

The deadline for Fall first-year applications to NAU is Aug 1.

The deadline for Fall transfer applications to NAU is Continuous processing.

Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs

NAU SAT Scores

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Composite SAT Range

1060 - 1260

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Math SAT Range

520 - 630

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Reading SAT Range

530 - 640

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

SAT Score

Estimated Chance

1260 and Above

Good

1060 to 1260

Avg

1060 and Less

Low

SAT Scores Needed to Get Accepted

The median SAT score for NAU students is 1162. Applicants with SAT scores of 1260 and above have a good chance of being admitted to NAU, while applicants with SAT scores between 1060 to 1260 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1060 have a low chance of being offered a spot at NAU.

NAU Tuition & Fees

Tuition & Fees

$24,002

In State

$39,264

Out-of-State
Cost Breakdown
In State
Out-of-State
State Tuition
$11,024
$26,286
Fees
$1,250
$1,250
Housing
$11,728
$11,728
Books
Unknown
Unknown

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Student Life

Wondering what life at NAU is like? There are approximately 28,090 students enrolled at NAU, including 23,207 undergraduate students and 4,883 graduate students. 86% percent of students attend school full-time, 69% percent are from AZ and 31% percent of students are from other states.

86%

Full Time

14%

Part Time

69%

In State

31%

Out-of-State

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

28,090

Campus Setting

Small Town

Acceptance Rate

80%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$12,274

Out-of-State

$27,536

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Aug 1
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