Skip to content
AlmaSpire

Chicago, IL · Public · 3,982 undergraduates · urban

Northeastern Illinois University

Moderately selective

NEIU is a Chicago public university built around access, flexible study and community-engaged learning across multiple city locations.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Well established Strong in student experience, and solid in affordability.
Academic Steady Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Strong
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Strong
Admission
70.4% admitted

8,481 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
46.1%

$52,234 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Northeastern Illinois University apart

Academic design

Coursework emphasizes hands-on learning, field research, community engagement and faculty-guided inquiry across liberal arts, business, education and professional fields.

Campus pattern

The North Park main campus offers a traditional landscaped setting while other university locations connect students directly to different Chicago neighborhoods.

Career & value signal

Bernard J. Brommel Hall is one of the most recognizable buildings on NEIU's landscaped Main Campus.

Can I get in?

70.4% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

8,481

About 70 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 70.4%
Entering class

Record over scores

No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.

Testingsometimes required
Return for a second year56.6%
Finish the degree46.1%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northeastern Illinois University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Northeastern Illinois University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Coursework emphasizes hands-on learning, field research, community engagement and faculty-guided inquiry across liberal arts, business, education and professional fields.

02

Make institutional fit specific

NEIU is a Chicago public university built around access, flexible study and community-engaged learning across multiple city locations.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Regular DecisionJul 25
Fee and waiverNo application fee

Check eligibility for a fee waiver

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$28,769
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$14,000
Affordability profileSolid

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Northeastern Illinois University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years46.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one56.6%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$52,234

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Computer Science

Recent graduates103
Median earnings$88,917

Admits separately

Social Work

Recent graduates100
Median earnings$53,848

Psychology, General

Recent graduates89
Median earnings$54,301

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Recent graduates87
Median earnings$55,569

What is campus life like?

Northeastern Illinois University beyond the classroom

The North Park main campus offers a traditional landscaped setting while other university locations connect students directly to different Chicago neighborhoods.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Coursework emphasizes hands-on learning, field research, community engagement and faculty-guided inquiry across liberal arts, business, education and professional fields.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The North Park main campus offers a traditional landscaped setting while other university locations connect students directly to different Chicago neighborhoods.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Bernard J. Brommel Hall is one of the most recognizable buildings on NEIU's landscaped Main Campus.

3,982 undergraduatesMidwesturban settingCampus housing available