Northern Illinois University

www.niu.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$9,466

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$14,397

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

5.97%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

59.2%

16,690 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

16,769

73.8% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

47.9%

1,197 Graduates

About

Northern Illinois University is a higher education institution located in DeKalb County, IL. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Northern Illinois University were General Psychology (188 degrees awarded), Accounting (171 degrees), and Speech Communication & Rhetoric (164 degrees).

In 2020, 4,648 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Northern Illinois University. 51.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 48.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,715 degrees), 3.85 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (705 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Northern Illinois University is $9,466, which is $−19,097 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by EarlRShumaker

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Northern Illinois University is $9,466, which is $−19,097 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $14,397.

In 2020, 82% of undergraduate students attending Northern Illinois University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 59% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$9,466

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Northern Illinois University was $9,466. The cost of tuition at Northern Illinois University is $−19,097 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Northern Illinois University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$14,397

2020 Value

21.5%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Northern Illinois University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $14,397. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Northern Illinois University grew by 21.5%.

This chart compares the average net price of Northern Illinois University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$10,880

Room and Board

$1,100

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Northern Illinois University was of $10,880 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,100. The cost of room and board did not change between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 21.4% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Northern Illinois University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

82%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

59%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

82% of undergraduate students at Northern Illinois University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 9.33% with respect to 2019, when 75% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Northern Illinois University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

5.97%

2018 Default Rate

285

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Northern Illinois University was 5.97%, which represents 285 out of the 4772 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Northern Illinois University received 16,690 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 6.35% annual growth. Out of those 16,690 applicants, 9,888 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 59.2% acceptance rate.

There were 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University in 2020, and N/A% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Northern Illinois University has an overall enrollment yield of 20.7%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

59.2%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

9,888

Accepted Out of 16,690

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Northern Illinois University was 59.2% (9,888 admissions from 16,690 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 48.4%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants grew by 6.35%, while admissions grew by 30.3%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Northern Illinois University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

N/A%

Submission Percentage

Scores Submitted

N/A% of enrolled first-time students at Northern Illinois University in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Northern Illinois University has a total enrollment of 16,769 students. The full-time enrollment at Northern Illinois University is 12,368 students and the part-time enrollment is 4,401. This means that 73.8% of students enrolled at Northern Illinois University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Northern Illinois University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 51.4% White, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Black or African American, 5.63% Asian, 3.45% Two or More Races, 0.107% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0596% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Northern Illinois University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (24%), followed by White Male (23.1%) and Black or African American Female (12.4%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (30.5%), followed by White Male (24.2%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.54%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

73.8%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Northern Illinois University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 16,769 students. The full-time enrollment at Northern Illinois University is 12,368 and the part-time enrollment is 4,401. This means that 73.8% of students enrolled at Northern Illinois University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Northern Illinois University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

78%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Northern Illinois University was 78%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), Northern Illinois University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Northern Illinois University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
8,619
Hispanic or Latino
3,099
Black or African American
2,695

The enrolled student population at Northern Illinois University is 51.4% White, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Black or African American, 5.63% Asian, 3.45% Two or More Races, 0.107% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0596% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 70 students (0.417%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 160 more women than men received degrees from Northern Illinois University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Northern Illinois University is white (2,715 degrees awarded). There were 3.85 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (705 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Northern Illinois University is General Psychology (188 degrees awarded), followed by Accounting (171 degrees) and Speech Communication & Rhetoric (164 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Northern Illinois University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Human Sciences (137 degrees awarded), Education (528 degrees), and Math & Statistics (86 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Northern Illinois University are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,795,706 people), Secondary school teachers (430,083 people), Education administrators (286,636 people), Other managers (251,824 people), and Postsecondary teachers (236,667 people).

The most specialized majors at Northern Illinois University are Human Sciences (137 degrees awarded), Education (528 degrees), Math & Statistics (86 degrees), Communications (200 degrees), and Physical Sciences (87 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Northern Illinois University are Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, and Derrick, rotary drill, & service unit operators, & roustabouts, oil, gas, & mining

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Northern Illinois University are Elementary & secondary schools (2,924,476 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (487,495 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (231,728 people), Computer Systems Design (216,156 people), and Insurance carriers (142,781 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Northern Illinois University.

Most Common

General Psychology
188 degree-majorss awarded
Accounting
171 degree-majorss awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
164 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Northern Illinois University was General Psychology with 188 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Northern Illinois University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,244

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

2,404

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 2,244 degrees were awarded to men at Northern Illinois University, which is 0.933 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,404).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Northern Illinois University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 163 degrees were awarded to men at Northern Illinois University in Computer Science, which is 4.53 times more than the 36 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 161 degrees were awarded to women at Northern Illinois University in General Psychology, which is 2.98 times more than the 54 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

24%

100% Completion Time

46%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 24% of students graduating from Northern Illinois University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 46% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 48% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (66.7%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Northern Illinois University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (66.7% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.0835% of graduates (1 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
2,715 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
705 degrees awarded
Black or African American
407 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Northern Illinois University is white (2,715 degrees awarded). There were 3.85 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (705 degrees).

0.301% of degree recipients (14 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
1,409 degrees awarded
White Male
1,306 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
362 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Northern Illinois University is white female (1,409 degrees awarded). There were 1.08 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,306 degrees).

Operations

Northern Illinois University has an endowment valued at nearly $76M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $2.39M (3.14%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, Northern Illinois University had a total salary expenditure of $535M. Northern Illinois University employs 228 Associate professors, 222 Professors, and 152 Instructors. Most academics at Northern Illinois University are Male Professors (144), Female Associate professors(118), and Male Associate professors (110).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Northern Illinois University are: Office and Administrative Support, with 502 employees, Service, with 367 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 239 employees.

Endowment

$76M

2020 Endowment

7.89%

decline from 2019

Northern Illinois University has an endowment valued at about $76M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Northern Illinois University declined 7.89% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $231M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Northern Illinois University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$17M - Federal
$10.2M - State
$162k - Local

As of 2020, Northern Illinois University received $17M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $10.2M from state grants and contracts, and $162k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$236M

2020 Salaries

5.51%

growth from 2019

In 2020, Northern Illinois University paid a median of $236M in salaries, which represents 44% of their overall expenditure ($535M) and a 5.51% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 2.24% growth from 2018 and a 1.47% decline from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$67.3M

Instructional Salaries

785

Number of Employees

In 2020, Northern Illinois University paid a total of $67.3M to 785 employees working as instructors, which represents 28.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

228 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

502 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Northern Illinois University were Associate professor with 228 employees; Professor with 222 employees; and Professor with 152 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Northern Illinois University were Office and Administrative Support with 502 employees; Service with 367 employees; and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 239 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Associate professor
Male Associate professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Northern Illinois University was Male Professor with 144 employees, Female Associate professor with 118 employees, and Male Associate professor with 110 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Northern Illinois University.