Northern Illinois University: Statistics

Updated:

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Position Category
#526 of 14,131 In the World
#188 of 2,597 In North America
#164 of 2,496 In the United States
#7 of 100 In Illinois
#85 of 1,030 For Early Childhood Education
Top50% For 173 other topics
Subject rankings

Quick Review

Acceptance rate
70%
Aid receiving
99%
Undergraduates
11,348
Graduates
4,066
Male:Female Ratio
45:55
Control
Public
Highest Degree
Doctor's degree
Website
www.niu.edu

Northern Illinois University Acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Northern Illinois University has an acceptance rate of 70% and is among the top 32% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 70% 66% 72%
Applicants 23,651 10,235 13,402
Admissions 16,505 6,791 9,707
Freshmen enrolled full time 1,979 918 1,059
Freshmen enrolled part time 12 5 6

7,937 students enrolled in some distance education courses.

2,197 enrolled exclusively in distance education.

Admissions requirements

College-preparatory program Required
Secondary school GPA Required
Secondary school rank Required
Secondary school record Required
TOEFL Required
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
SAT/ACT Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

White 6831 (44%)
Hispanic 3407 (22%)
Black or African American 2741 (18%)
Nonresident Alien 972 (6%)
Asian 921 (6%)
Two or more races 268 (2%)
Race or Ethnicity unknown 197 (1%)
American Indian or Alaska Native 30 (0.2%)
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 13 (0.1%)

Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees

The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.

Average aid awarded
$14,387
Students receiving aid
99%

Tuition and fees

UndergraduatesGraduates
Tuition in-district $10,230$9,176
Tuition in-state $10,230$9,176
Tuition out-of-state $10,230$9,176
Fee in-district $3,018
Fee in-state $3,018
Fee out-of-state $3,018

Room and board costs

Dormitory capacity 4,500
Combined charge for room and board $12,442

Northern Illinois University majors

Northern Illinois University has granted 2,445 bachelor's degrees across 61 programs, 1,295 master's across 58 programs, and 261 doctorate degrees across 24 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Northern Illinois University.

Major Bachelor Master Doctoral
Psychology, General 213 15 17
Computer Science 120 110 1
Business Administration and Management, General 51 155
Information Technology 144
Mechanical Engineering 119 18
Accounting 104 26
Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse 124
Management Science 75 40
Health & Medical Preparatory Programs, Other 112
Special Education and Teaching, General 63 49
Marketing & Marketing Management, General 109
Law 94
Liberal Arts and Sciences & Liberal Studies 93
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 41 43
Elementary Education and Teaching 77
Biology & Biological Sciences, General 65 6 4
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 61 11
Human Development and Family Studies, General 56 15
English Language and Literature, General 47 15 7
Industrial Engineering 19 47
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 28 35
Sport and Fitness Administration & Management 44 19
Fine & Studio Arts, General 54 7
Music Performance, General 23 36
Political Science and Government, General 50 7 2
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education & Fitness, General 58
History, General 40 9 2
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 27 23
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 49
Finance, General 46
Engineering Technologies & Technicians, General 43
Operations Management and Supervision 43
Early Childhood Education and Teaching 32 8
Educational Leadership and Administration, General 24 16
Chemistry, General 22 4 13
Education, General 35
Nursing Science 35
Community Health Services & Liaison & Counseling 33
Marketing, Other 33
Dietetics & Dietitian 15 16
Public Administration 31
Sociology, General 27 4
Public Health, General 28
Environmental Studies 27
Art & Art Studies, General 21 5
Curriculum and Instruction 19 7
Educational & Instructional Technology 20 6
Counselor Education & School Counseling and Guidance Services 23 2
Adult and Continuing Education Administration 12 12
Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General 22 2
Mathematics, General 15 6 3
Physical Therapy & Therapist 24
Junior High & Intermediate & Middle School Education and Teaching 23
Art Teacher Education 18 4
Clinical Laboratory Science & Medical Technology & Technologist 22
Physics, General 8 6 6
Economics, General 18
Philosophy 6 12
Geography 10 4 3
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 16
Reading Teacher Education 15
Higher Education & Higher Education Administration 14
Criminology 13
Hospitality Administration & Management, General 13
Journalism 13
Geology & Earth Science, General 8 2 2
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 12
Spanish Language and Literature 11 1
Statistics, General 7 5
Anthropology, General 5 6
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 11
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other 11
Engineering & Industrial Management 11
Financial Mathematics 9
Apparel and Textiles, General 8
Athletic Training & Trainer 7
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 5 2
Human Services, General 7
Audiology & Audiologist 5
Educational Psychology 2 3
Educational Evaluation and Research 4
French Language and Literature 4
Health Services Administration 4
Nursing Practice 4
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 2
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling & Counselor 2
Geological and Earth Sciences & Geosciences, Other 1
German Language and Literature 1
Music, General 1
Physical Sciences, Other 1
Grand Total 2,445 1,295 261

Northern Illinois University has a graduation rate of 49%, which is among the 39% lowest for universities in the US.

Total Men Women
Graduation rate 49% 45% 52%
  • Full-time retention rate - 70%
  • Part-time retention rate - 30%

Publications & Citations

Northern Illinois University is a world-class research university with 32,045 scientific papers published and 874,091 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Physics, Engineering, Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Medicine, Political Science, and Quantum and Particle physics.

Publications
32,045
Citations
874,091

Publication / Citation count by topic

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
17,989 / 476,217
Physics
13,804 / 444,543
Engineering
13,220 / 394,770
Biology
12,957 / 432,724
Computer Science
12,413 / 381,168
Environmental Science
11,726 / 369,994
Chemistry
10,534 / 334,510
Medicine
10,344 / 359,747
Political Science
10,321 / 239,106
Quantum and Particle physics
10,246 / 363,837
Law
9,647 / 227,615
Psychology
9,259 / 320,021
Philosophy
8,756 / 237,719
Sociology
8,736 / 210,716
Mathematics
7,672 / 246,751
Geography and Cartography
6,694 / 214,585
Business
6,532 / 194,523
History
6,139 / 157,397
Geology
6,030 / 210,588
Materials Science
5,860 / 192,046
Organic Chemistry
5,519 / 163,130
Economics
5,205 / 126,370
Statistics
4,705 / 185,053
Biochemistry
4,679 / 149,273
Archaeology
4,553 / 148,434
Paleontology
4,373 / 167,285
Linguistics
4,166 / 124,714
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
4,155 / 108,328
Ecology
3,979 / 115,080
Social Psychology
3,810 / 153,249
Art & Design
3,764 / 67,929
Genetics
3,561 / 111,743
Optical Engineering
3,502 / 115,627
Nuclear Physics
3,378 / 173,401
Psychiatry
3,071 / 138,338
Management
2,940 / 95,756
Education Majors
2,759 / 61,583
Metallurgical Engineering
2,699 / 110,521
Neuroscience
2,692 / 113,627
Development Studies
2,638 / 67,583

Annual publication & citation counts

Year Publications Citations
1993 486 3578
1994 464 3826
1995 533 4181
1996 517 4710
1997 474 4888
1998 505 5676
1999 503 5957
2000 490 6876
2001 517 7363
2002 604 8872
2003 604 10165
2004 600 11313
2005 654 12350
2006 693 13547
2007 664 15347
2008 698 17005
2009 759 18586
2010 769 20952
2011 918 25067
2012 959 31010
2013 911 35261
2014 931 37177
2015 997 39454
2016 928 41465
2017 958 40632
2018 972 42232
2019 959 48510
2020 1074 53364
2021 976 58698
2022 898 53572
2023 955 55388
2024 743 51084
2025 568 43211
Academic rankings

Northern Illinois University alumni

  1. Robert Zemeckis

    Robert Zemeckis
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1952-.. (age 74)
    Occupations
    film directorproducerdirectoractorwriter
    Biography

    Robert Lee Zemeckis, sometimes referred to as Bob Zemeckis, is an American filmmaker. Known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential films that often blend cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling, he has received accolades such as two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for five British Academy Film Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award.

  2. Tammy Duckworth

    Tammy Duckworth
    Born in
    Thailand Flag Thailand
    Years
    1968-.. (age 58)
    Occupations
    politicianhelicopter pilotnon-fiction writer
    Biography

    Ladda Tammy Duckworth is an American politician and Army National Guard veteran serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented Illinois's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.

  3. Joan Allen

    Joan Allen
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1956-.. (age 70)
    Enrolled in Northern Illinois University
    In 1989 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in theatre art
    Occupations
    television actorvoice actorstage actorfilm actor
    Biography

    Joan Allen is an American actress. Known for her work on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

  4. Dan Castellaneta

    Dan Castellaneta
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1957-.. (age 69)
    Occupations
    actor
    Biography

    Daniel Louis Castellaneta is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series The Simpsons, as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Mr. Teeny, Kodos, Itchy, Santa's Little Helper, and Barney Gumble. Castellaneta is also known for voicing Grandpa in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!, and has had voice roles in several other programs, including Futurama, Sibs, Darkwing Duck, The Adventures of Dynamo Duck, The Batman, Back to the Future: The Animated Series, Aladdin, Earthworm Jim, and Taz-Mania.

All 77 notable alumni

General info

Alternative names NIU
Founded 1895
Motto Forward, Together Forward
Colors cardinal, black
Academic calendar August to May. Also Summer Session (May - August)
Total FTE staff 2,871
Carnegie classification Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity

Location and contacts

Address 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy.
Dekalb, Illinois, 60115-2828
United States
City population 40,000
Phone 8008923050

Northern Illinois University in social media