Marketing
Ranked #63 of 354 for valueMarketing · 112 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $76,373
- Ranked-college median: $67,486
- Median debt
- $18,669
- Ranked-college median: $19,523
Northern Illinois University acceptance rate
Acceptance rate: 69.8% (fall admissions, CollegesRef 2026–27 edition). 15,922 of 22,602 applicants were admitted. Admissions details
What we know
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025- Students
- 11,301
Larger than 91% of colleges
National median 1,603
Northern Illinois UniversityMiddle half of collegesNational median
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Northern Illinois University admitted 69.8% of 22,602 applicants.
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Applicants22,602
69.8% of applicants were admitted
- Admitted15,922
13.5% of admitted students enrolled (yield)
- Enrolled (first-year)2,147
Cost & financial aid
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Average net price
$14,505
What students paid per year on average after grants and scholarships. Your price depends on family income.
Published price vs. what students paid
- Tuition & fees
- $13,792
- Average net price
- $14,505
Students receiving Pell Grants
- Pell Grant recipients
- 51.7%
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- Can I afford it?Loan payment against what its graduates earn
- How much can I borrow?Federal loan limits and what is left to cover
- Will I get a Pell Grant?Estimate this year's award from your SAI
- What would I repay?Monthly payments on $27,000 of loans
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A PDF that applies the 2026–27 federal aid rules to you and up to three colleges: Pell Grant, loan limits, the gap left and repayment.
Start with the Pell Grant estimator See a sample reportOutcomes
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
48.5%
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
69.6%
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$61,351
Former students who received federal aid
Where Northern Illinois University ranks
- #63Best colleges for marketingof 354 ranked
- #69Best colleges for financeof 330 ranked
- #90Best colleges for accountingof 408 ranked
Programs at Northern Illinois University
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Bachelor's majors where Northern Illinois University is ranked in CollegesRef's value rankings. Earnings are medians 4 years after graduating, for graduates who received federal aid; the tick on each bar marks the median of all ranked colleges in that field.
Finance
Ranked #69 of 330 for valueFinance and Financial Management Services · 48 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $86,511
- Ranked-college median: $77,916
- Median debt
- $15,085
- Ranked-college median: $19,500
Accounting
Ranked #90 of 408 for valueAccounting and Related Services · 104 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $83,573
- Ranked-college median: $76,108
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Ranked-college median: $20,500
Mathematics
Ranked #104 of 208 for valueMathematics · 17 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $69,856
- Ranked-college median: $71,273
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Ranked-college median: $18,563
Electrical engineering
Ranked #153 of 184 for valueElectrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · 41 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $93,962
- Ranked-college median: $99,787
- Median debt
- $19,658
- Ranked-college median: $20,732
Education
Ranked #163 of 521 for valueTeacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · 132 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $50,385
- Ranked-college median: $48,822
- Median debt
- $19,100
- Ranked-college median: $21,500
Business
Ranked #164 of 986 for valueBusiness Administration, Management and Operations · 95 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $73,176
- Ranked-college median: $64,860
- Median debt
- $19,500
- Ranked-college median: $21,375
Mechanical engineering
Ranked #191 of 276 for valueMechanical Engineering · 119 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $86,999
- Ranked-college median: $91,366
- Median debt
- $16,731
- Ranked-college median: $20,713
Kinesiology and exercise science
Ranked #205 of 459 for valueSports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · 102 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $54,207
- Ranked-college median: $53,707
- Median debt
- $21,375
- Ranked-college median: $21,500
Engineering
Ranked #216 of 327 for valueMechanical Engineering · 119 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $86,999
- Ranked-college median: $91,742
- Median debt
- $16,731
- Ranked-college median: $21,000
Computer science
Ranked #230 of 466 for valueComputer Science · 122 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $93,438
- Ranked-college median: $97,375
- Median debt
- $16,093
- Ranked-college median: $19,500
Communications
Ranked #231 of 388 for valueCommunication and Media Studies · 62 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $55,109
- Ranked-college median: $56,130
- Median debt
- $21,236
- Ranked-college median: $19,593
Political science
Ranked #334 of 388 for valuePolitical Science and Government · 53 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $54,039
- Ranked-college median: $63,181
- Median debt
- $19,899
- Ranked-college median: $19,500
Psychology
Ranked #382 of 814 for valuePsychology, General · 214 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $49,669
- Ranked-college median: $51,007
- Median debt
- $19,000
- Ranked-college median: $21,000
Biology
Ranked #496 of 680 for valueBiology, General · 65 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $52,086
- Ranked-college median: $58,001
- Median debt
- $20,500
- Ranked-college median: $20,717
Academics
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Total students
11,301
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
R2 research university
A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with high research activity.
Location & details
Where the campus is, how far it sits from a major city, and other colleges within reach.
Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL, United States
Distances are straight-line miles, not driving distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.
Campus
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL, United States
- Public
- R2 research university
Small suburb
Inside an urbanized area but outside a principal city.
- City
- Suburb (this campus)
- Town
- Rural
Nearest major cityChicago, IL · about 59 mi
In the city250 mi
- Calendar
- Semester
- Website
- niu.edu
Still have a question?
Ask about admissions, cost or campus life at Northern Illinois University. Answers come from CollegesRef data.
Ask CollegesRefSpecial features
What sets this college apart, grouped by theme, each with what it means and the data or editorial tag behind it.
CollegesRef editorial
Cost & aid
Affordable
Lower cost than many comparable colleges for a typical family.
Average net price $14,505 a year after aid
Athletics
NCAA Division I · The largest programs and athletic scholarships; big-time game days.
- D-INCAA Division I (this college)
- D-IINCAA Division II
- D-IIINCAA Division III
- NAIANAIA
- NJCAANJCAA
Tagged by CollegesRef editors as a big-time athletics school.
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Admit rate, net price and outcomes for Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, side by side.
Compare with Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleFrequently asked questions
What is the Northern Illinois University acceptance rate for 2026?
Northern Illinois University admitted 69.8% of 22,602 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, the most recent release. That is the figure colleges report to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
How much is Northern Illinois University tuition?
Tuition at Northern Illinois University is $13,792 a year before financial aid in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. The average net price after grants is $14,505 a year.
What is the average net price at Northern Illinois University?
The average net price at Northern Illinois University, what first-time, full-time students paid after grants and scholarships, was $14,505 a year in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Your own price depends on family income; the college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
What is the graduation rate at Northern Illinois University?
48.5% of first-time, full-time students at Northern Illinois University graduate within six years (150% of normal time), according to the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
What colleges are similar to Northern Illinois University?
The closest matches are Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Eastern Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, based on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile.
Sources
Last checked Nov 3, 2026
- Admissions
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Cost
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Outcomes
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Enrollment
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Figures come from federal reporting. Text marked “CollegesRef editorial” is our own summary, and similar-college lists come from CollegesRef matching. How we source data
