Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public · Mid-American Conference
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Northern Illinois University admitted 69.8% of applicants university-wide (16,505 of 23,651).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 69.8% | 16,505 | 23,651 |
| In-state | 70.0% | 6,300 | 9,000 |
| Out-of-state | 66.7% | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| International applicants | 80.0% | 480 | 600 |
| Men | 66.4% | 6,791 | 10,235 |
| Women | 72.4% | 9,707 | 13,402 |
Of 16,505 admitted students, 1,991 enrolled (12.1% yield).
Northern Illinois University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1000–1250
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 20–26
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)
Northern Illinois University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $34,108/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $13,248 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $20,860 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $34,108/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $10,126 |
| $30k–48k | $9,854 |
| $48k–75k | $12,797 |
| $75k–110k | $17,612 |
| Over $110k | $21,834 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Huskie Excellence Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Automatic)
- Huskie Achievement Scholarship — $2,500 per year (Automatic)
- NIU Transfer Scholarship — Up to $2,000 per year (Merit)
- Huskie Success Scholarship — $1,500 per year (Automatic)
- NIU Alumni Scholarship — $1,000 (Other)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies (Athletic)
- Huskie Pledge — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- International Freshman Academic Scholarship — Up to $5,000 per year (International Aid)
- Huskie Excellence Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Automatic)
- International Transfer Academic Scholarship — Up to $3,000 per year (International Aid)
- Huskie Achievement Scholarship — $2,500 per year (Automatic)
- NIU Transfer Scholarship — Up to $2,000 per year (Merit)
- Huskie Success Scholarship — $1,500 per year (Automatic)
- NIU Alumni Scholarship — $1,000 (Other)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies (Athletic)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Northern Illinois University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Official High School Transcript
- Application fee
International applicants
- Official High School Transcript
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Northern Illinois University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Northern Illinois University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $57,808
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 48.7%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 70%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $22,162
- At graduation
Northern Illinois University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #301
- WSJ: #306
- Forbes: #379
- Niche: #643
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (16%), Psychology (9%), Engineering (7%).
Student–faculty ratio: 15:1 · 58% of class sections have under 20 students.
Northern Illinois University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.