Dekalb, IL · Public · 11,301 undergraduates · suburban
Northern Illinois University
Moderately selective
NIU serves the Chicago region with especially applied pathways in business, engineering, education, and computing.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in mobility, and solid in affordability.- Admission
- 70.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 64.4%
24,177 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$57,808 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Northern Illinois University apart
Academic design
Engineering and technology programs require substantial design work; business students can tackle sponsored consulting projects.
Campus pattern
DeKalb provides a residential college-town base west of Chicago.
Career & value signal
Internships and employer projects connect students with organizations across northern Illinois and Chicagoland.
Can I get in?
70.5% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
24,177About 70 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
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.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Northern Illinois University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Northern 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Engineering and technology programs require substantial design work; business students can tackle sponsored consulting projects.
Make institutional fit specific
NIU serves the Chicago region with especially applied pathways in business, engineering, education, and computing.
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.
Fee waiver: accepted
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.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits 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.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
Northern Illinois University publishes one merit award, the largest reaching $5,000 to $10,000 a year. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Guaranteed at a stated threshold · Renews each year
In the season card
This award, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Northern 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+
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.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
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.
Psychology, General
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Admits separately
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
Marketing
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Northern Illinois University beyond the classroom
DeKalb provides a residential college-town base west of Chicago.
A defining academic feature
Engineering and technology programs require substantial design work; business students can tackle sponsored consulting projects.
What shapes an ordinary week
DeKalb provides a residential college-town base west of Chicago.
Where the degree can lead
Internships and employer projects connect students with organizations across northern Illinois and Chicagoland.