Match #1
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate87%
- 8,494 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Enrollment 8,494 students, close to 11,301
- Average net price $12,554, close to $14,505
The colleges most similar to Northern Illinois University are Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Eastern Illinois University, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Northern Illinois University admits 70% of applicants and has an average net price of $14,505 a year; 8 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 6 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Northern Illinois University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Northern Illinois University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate65%
- 4,188 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 50%, close to 48%
- Acceptance rate 65%, close to 70%
Match #3
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate98%
- 8,750 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 56%, close to 48%
- Enrollment 8,750 students, close to 11,301
Match #4
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate71%
- 4,410 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 49%, close to 48%
- Acceptance rate 71%, close to 70%
Match #5
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate77%
- 22,170 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 77%, close to 70%
- Same control type (public)
Match #6
Illinois State University
Normal, IL
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate88%
- 19,057 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness58/100
Admit rate75%
- 3,982 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 75%, close to 70%
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Governors State University
University Park, IL
Profile closeness50/100
Admit rate48%
- 2,556 students
- Public
- Rural: Fringe
- Average net price $15,833, close to $14,505
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Main Campus
Champaign, IL
Profile closeness45/100
Admit rate42%
- 36,258 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Average net price $13,042, close to $14,505
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
Chicago State University
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness30/100
Admit rate43%
- 1,384 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Northern Illinois University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Northern Illinois University?
The closest matches to Northern Illinois University are Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Eastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Western Illinois University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Northern Illinois University hard to get into?
Northern Illinois University admitted 70% of its 22,602 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is moderately selective. 6 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Northern Illinois University alternatives cost less?
8 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Northern Illinois University ($14,505 a year), including Chicago State University ($7,273), Northeastern Illinois University ($9,377), and University of Illinois at Chicago ($9,540). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
