About
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with college-educated teachers. In addition to the main campus in DeKalb, it has satellite centers in Chicago, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon, Illinois.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 26.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 137 Title IV programs, 66 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 69 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing66 · 48.2%
- No Data69 · 50.4%
- Failing2 · 1.5%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 19
Action history · 22
- Jul 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- Apr 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Aug 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,225 students received $36.3M in Pell grants, alongside $66.3M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 4,673 borrowers who entered repayment, 102 (2.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Northern Illinois
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 13
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus60
- Non-campus7
Includes 26 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Stevenson Towers North1 fireElectricalDamage $100-$999
- Stevenson Towers South1 fireElectricalDamage $100,000-$249,999
- Northern View 61 fireCookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
- Patterson Hall East2 firesOpen flamesDamage $0-$99
- Patterson Hall East2 firesCookingDamage $100-$999
Data quality: 7 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Northern Illinois vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Northern Illinois selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectNorthern Illinois University | 49% | — | 15,414 | $13,391 | R2 Research |
| 53% | 82.3% | 15,726 | $12,366 | R2 Research | |
| 61% | 81.0% | 17,594 | $24,022 | R2 Research | |
| 48% | 97.4% | 12,326 | $9,320 | R2 Research | |
| 59% | 89.8% | 14,488 | $17,597 | R2 Research | |
| 51% | 91.3% | 14,074 | $14,764 | R2 Research | |
| 57% | 60.0% | 15,544 | $3,776 | R2 Research | |
| 53% | 86.2% | 13,728 | $15,983 | R2 Research | |
| 46% | 79.6% | 12,631 | $15,407 | R2 Research | |
| 51% | 95.7% | 11,958 | $7,502 | R2 Research | |
| 55% | 89.0% | 15,408 | $8,889 | R2 Research | |
| 57% | 49.9% | 14,311 | $10,846 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 87.8% | 15,768 | $9,120 | R2 Research | |
| 64% | 71.4% | 11,315 | $19,703 | R2 Research | |
| 60% | 86.9% | 11,790 | $13,297 | R2 Research | |
| 48% | 89.6% | 17,433 | $20,783 | R2 Research | |
| 40% | 88.6% | 11,266 | $15,225 | R2 Research | |
| 52% | 59.7% | 13,332 | $13,946 | R2 Research | |
| 47% | 97.4% | 11,354 | $15,788 | R2 Research | |
| 49% | 83.8% | 15,575 | $17,707 | R2 Research | |
| 65% | 83.0% | 16,598 | $17,163 | R2 Research | |
| 54% | 72.2% | 14,732 | $13,310 | R2 Research | |
| 49% | 87.0% | 14,972 | $13,441 | R2 Research | |
| 61% | 76.9% | 15,019 | $18,551 | R2 Research | |
| 65% | 53.2% | 16,154 | $10,154 | R2 Research | |
| 52% | 71.0% | 14,003 | $17,648 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 92.0% | 14,358 | $17,249 | R2 Research | |
| 79% | 65.3% | 14,476 | $19,343 | R2 Research | |
| 59% | 96.9% | 10,813 | $13,599 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 84.6% | 16,744 | $15,273 | R2 Research | |
| 51% | 93.9% | 16,689 | $13,194 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 54% | 85.4% | 14,488 | $14,764 |
Institutions like Northern Illinois
Explore the federal data for institutions in Northern Illinois's comparison group.
- R2 ResearchArkansas
Arkansas State University
Grad rate53%Admit rate82.3%Enrollment15,726Net price$12,366View data - R2 ResearchOhio
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Grad rate61%Admit rate81.0%Enrollment17,594Net price$24,022View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-East Bay
Grad rate48%Admit rate97.4%Enrollment12,326Net price$9,320View data - R2 ResearchMichigan
Central Michigan University
Grad rate59%Admit rate89.8%Enrollment14,488Net price$17,597View data - R2 ResearchOhio
Cleveland State University
Grad rate51%Admit rate91.3%Enrollment14,074Net price$14,764View data - R2 ResearchNew York
CUNY City College
Grad rate57%Admit rate60.0%Enrollment15,544Net price$3,776View data - R2 ResearchTennessee
East Tennessee State University
Grad rate53%Admit rate86.2%Enrollment13,728Net price$15,983View data - R2 ResearchMichigan
Eastern Michigan University
Grad rate46%Admit rate79.6%Enrollment12,631Net price$15,407View data - R2 ResearchWest Virginia
Marshall University
Grad rate51%Admit rate95.7%Enrollment11,958Net price$7,502View data - R2 ResearchNew Mexico
New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Grad rate55%Admit rate89.0%Enrollment15,408Net price$8,889View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
North Carolina A & T State University
Grad rate57%Admit rate49.9%Enrollment14,311Net price$10,846View data - R2 ResearchMichigan
Oakland University
Grad rate58%Admit rate87.8%Enrollment15,768Net price$9,120View data - R2 ResearchNew Jersey
Rutgers University-Newark
Grad rate64%Admit rate71.4%Enrollment11,315Net price$19,703View data - R2 ResearchIllinois
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Grad rate60%Admit rate86.9%Enrollment11,790Net price$13,297View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Tarleton State University
Grad rate48%Admit rate89.6%Enrollment17,433Net price$20,783View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
Grad rate40%Admit rate88.6%Enrollment11,266Net price$15,225View data - R2 ResearchOhio
University of Akron Main Campus
Grad rate52%Admit rate59.7%Enrollment13,332Net price$13,946View data - R2 ResearchColorado
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Grad rate47%Admit rate97.4%Enrollment11,354Net price$15,788View data - R2 ResearchMassachusetts
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Grad rate49%Admit rate83.8%Enrollment15,575Net price$17,707View data - R2 ResearchMassachusetts
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Grad rate65%Admit rate83.0%Enrollment16,598Net price$17,163View data - R2 ResearchMissouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Grad rate54%Admit rate72.2%Enrollment14,732Net price$13,310View data - R2 ResearchNebraska
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Grad rate49%Admit rate87.0%Enrollment14,972Net price$13,441View data - R2 ResearchNorth Dakota
University of North Dakota
Grad rate61%Admit rate76.9%Enrollment15,019Net price$18,551View data - R2 ResearchFlorida
University of North Florida
Grad rate65%Admit rate53.2%Enrollment16,154Net price$10,154View data - R2 ResearchAlabama
University of South Alabama
Grad rate52%Admit rate71.0%Enrollment14,003Net price$17,648View data - R2 ResearchOhio
University of Toledo
Grad rate58%Admit rate92.0%Enrollment14,358Net price$17,249View data - R2 ResearchVermont
University of Vermont
Grad rate79%Admit rate65.3%Enrollment14,476Net price$19,343View data - R2 ResearchWyoming
University of Wyoming
Grad rate59%Admit rate96.9%Enrollment10,813Net price$13,599View data - R2 ResearchMichigan
Western Michigan University
Grad rate58%Admit rate84.6%Enrollment16,744Net price$15,273View data - R2 ResearchKansas
Wichita State University
Grad rate51%Admit rate93.9%Enrollment16,689Net price$13,194View data
Northern Illinois Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Institutional Effectiveness, as a leader in a data-informed culture and as a model of best practices in data-informed decision-making, is committed to working with the university community on issues of accreditation, assessment and evaluation; institutional research; and decision support and analysis.
Visit IR office page- Gregory P. Barker, Ph.D.Executive Director for Institutional Research and Analytics
- Jason ReedInstitutional Research Data Coordinator
- Debbie O'DellInstitutional Research Data Specialist
- Pingping RenResearch Associate
- Jun ZhangResearch Associate, Institutional Research
Common Data Set
Northern Illinois's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
Notable alumni of Northern Illinois (17)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Judith CurryAcademe
- Jose Manuel 'Chel' DioknoPolitics and government
- John DunnAcademe
- Ann RondeauAcademe
- Joan AllenArts and entertainment
- Dan CastellanetaArts and entertainment
- Charlotte Kate FoxArts and entertainment
- Steve HarrisArts and entertainment
- Nicole BriscoeMedia
- Ralph de la VegaBusiness
- Ken BishopAthletics
- P. J. FleckAthletics
Frequently asked questions about Northern Illinois University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Northern Illinois.
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Who runs Institutional Research at Northern Illinois University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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