Northern Arizona University
#801
QS Rank
77%
Acceptance rate
~4%
Intl. students
$30,000
Tuition/yr
28,000
Enrollment
About Northern Arizona University
Public research university in Flagstaff, AZ. Strong education, business, and engineering programs.
Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public doctoral research university founded in 1899, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, at an elevation of roughly 7,000 feet on the Colorado Plateau. It is classified as a high research activity (R1) institution and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. As of 2024-2025, the university enrolls approximately 28,467 students across its Flagstaff campus, regional centers, and online programs.
NAU offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across colleges covering engineering, business, health, education, and natural sciences. The university is particularly recognized for its School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (ranked among the top hospitality programs nationally), its College of the Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences, and its programs in environmental science, which benefit directly from the surrounding ponderosa pine forests and canyon landscapes of northern Arizona. STEM disciplines, including computer science and engineering informatics, have seen strong enrollment growth.
Flagstaff is a mid-sized city with a population of around 75,000 and sits near the Grand Canyon, making NAU's location distinctive among US research universities. The campus spans 740 acres and supports more than 350 student clubs and organizations. The university operates more than 20 campus locations across Arizona.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
AZ
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- NAU's International Excellence Award is a merit-based tuition waiver automatically considered for eligible international applicants with a 3.0+ GPA, reducing the cost burden for Nepali undergraduates, a meaningful advantage given annual international undergraduate tuition of approximately $30,000 for 2026-27.
- STEM-designated programs in computer science, engineering, and environmental science qualify graduates for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving Nepali students up to three years of US work authorization after graduation under existing US OPT rules.
- With an acceptance rate above 90%, NAU is accessible to a broad range of Nepali applicants without requiring exceptionally high standardised test scores, and its relatively affordable cost compared to private US universities makes it a practical option for middle-income families.
- The hospitality and hotel management programs offer a direct pathway into one of the United States' largest employment sectors, with internship pipelines that can support post-graduation OPT opportunities in tourism and food service management.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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