January 30, 2025 — Northern Kentucky University has been recognized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) with a Torch Award for Affordability, an honor that recognizes institutions that demonstrate leadership in managing educational costs and expanding access for students.
The Torch Awards recognize colleges and universities that show sustained commitment to student-centered decision-making and measurable improvement. In the award’s affordability measures, NKU’s showed strength in average net price for low-income students, 10-year net price trend for low-income students, five-year change in total cost of attendance and total cost of attendance. Together, these indicators highlight NKU’s efforts to expand access while maintaining educational quality and student success.
“This recognition from SACSCOC affirms what we work toward every day, making a high-quality education a realistic and achievable goal for students and families,” says NKU President Dr. Cady Short-Thompson. “We are proud to be acknowledged for prioritizing affordability while continuing to invest in student success.”
The Torch Awards are not institutional rankings and instead recognize leadership and measurable progress across multiple indicators, acknowledging excellence across diverse institutional missions and contexts.
About SACSCOC: The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education. SACSCOC accredits institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees, including those offered via distance and correspondence education, and direct assessment within these institutions. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among its members in the United States and international institutions of higher education approved by the SACSCOC Executive Council, Board of Trustees, and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly. The mission of SACSCOC is to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.
About Northern Kentucky University: NKU is an entrepreneurial state university of more than 15,000 students on a thriving suburban campus nestled between Highland Heights, Kentucky and bustling downtown Cincinnati. Ranked in the top 65 out of nearly 600 universities nationwide by The Wall Street Journal for exceptional value, we are a regionally engaged university committed to delivering an innovative, student-centered education. We empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, while contributing to the economic, civic and social vitality of the region. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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Corey Best
Bestc6@nku.edu
(859)-572-1473
