Northern Illinois University

www.niu.edu

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$9,466

0% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$18,346

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

8.32%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

48.4%

15,693 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

16,609

75.5% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

45.5%

1,197 Graduates

About

Northern Illinois University is a higher education institution located in DeKalb County, IL. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Northern Illinois University were Speech Communication & Rhetoric (192 degrees awarded), General Psychology (187 degrees), and Other Health Preparatory Programs (172 degrees).

In 2019, 5,048 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Northern Illinois University. 50.1% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.9% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,986 degrees), 4.05 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (737 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Northern Illinois University is $9,466, which is $−19,034 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

Photo by EarlRShumaker

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Northern Illinois University is $9,466, which is $−19,034 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $18,346.

In 2019, 75% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 61% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$9,466

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at Northern Illinois University was $9,466. The cost of tuition at Northern Illinois University is $−19,034 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

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

Average Net Price

$18,346

2019 Value

19.1%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 Northern Illinois University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $18,346. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of Northern Illinois University grew by 19.1%.

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

$1,400

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Northern Illinois University was of $10,880 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,400. The cost of room and board did not change between 2018 and 2019. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

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

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

75%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

61%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

75% of undergraduate students at Northern Illinois University received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 4.17% with respect to 2018, when 72% 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.

8.32%

2017 Default Rate

415

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at Northern Illinois University was 8.32%, which represents 415 out of the 4987 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 15,693 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 10.8% annual growth. Out of those 15,693 applicants, 7,588 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 48.4% acceptance rate.

There were 16,609 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University in 2019, and 84% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Northern Illinois University has an overall enrollment yield of 25%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

48.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

7,588

Accepted Out of 15,693

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Northern Illinois University was 48.4% (7,588 admissions from 15,693 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 54.4%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants grew by 10.8%, while admissions declined by −1.43%.

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

SAT Scores

84%

Submission Percentage

1,594

Scores Submitted

84% of enrolled first-time students at Northern Illinois University in 2019 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 16,609 students. The full-time enrollment at Northern Illinois University is 12,532 students and the part-time enrollment is 4,077. This means that 75.5% of students enrolled at Northern Illinois University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Northern Illinois University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 53.8% White, 16.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Black or African American, 5.5% Asian, 3.32% Two or More Races, 0.114% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0722% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Northern Illinois University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (25.3%), followed by White Female (24.6%) and Black or African American Female (11.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (30.6%), followed by White Male (22.9%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.48%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

75.5%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Northern Illinois University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 16,609 students. The full-time enrollment at Northern Illinois University is 12,532 and the part-time enrollment is 4,077. This means that 75.5% of students enrolled at Northern Illinois University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.6% 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

72%

2019 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 72%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (83%), 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
8,932
Hispanic or Latino
2,774
Black or African American
2,427

The enrolled student population at Northern Illinois University is 53.8% White, 16.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Black or African American, 5.5% Asian, 3.32% Two or More Races, 0.114% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0722% 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 50.3% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.48% 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, 59 students (0.355%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 14 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 (2,986 degrees awarded). There were 4.05 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (737 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Northern Illinois University is Speech Communication & Rhetoric (192 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (187 degrees) and Other Health Preparatory Programs (172 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 (149 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (113 degrees), and History (65 degrees).

Workforce

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 (1,524,190 people), Secondary school teachers (556,681 people), Software developers (460,334 people), Other managers (431,315 people), and Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (350,560 people).

The most specialized majors at Northern Illinois University are Human Sciences (149 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (113 degrees), History (65 degrees), Engineering (395 degrees), and Education (581 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

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 Surgeons, Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Physicians, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

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 (2,893,238 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (536,314 people), Computer Systems Design (503,291 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (451,864 people), and Construction (338,068 people).

Degrees

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

Speech Communication & Rhetoric
192 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
187 degree-majorss awarded
Other Health Preparatory Programs
172 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Northern Illinois University was Speech Communication & Rhetoric with 192 degrees awarded.

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

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

2,517

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

2,531

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 2,517 degrees were awarded to men at Northern Illinois University, which is 0.994 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,531).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 194 degrees were awarded to men at Northern Illinois University in Mechanical Engineering, which is 10.2 times more than the 19 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 160 degrees were awarded to women at Northern Illinois University in General Psychology, which is 2.58 times more than the 62 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

21%

100% Completion Time

45%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 21% of students graduating from Northern Illinois University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 45% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 47% 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.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (66.5%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Northern Illinois University is Female and White (66.5% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

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, 1.84% of graduates (22 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
2,986 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
737 degrees awarded
Black or African American
476 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Northern Illinois University is white (2,986 degrees awarded). There were 4.05 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (737 degrees).

0.297% of degree recipients (15 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Male
1,511 degrees awarded
White Female
1,475 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
394 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Northern Illinois University is white male (1,511 degrees awarded). There were 1.02 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,475 degrees).

Operations

Northern Illinois University has an endowment valued at nearly $82.5M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $4.86M (5.89%), compared to the 4.24% average return ($13.2M on $311M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2019, Northern Illinois University had a total salary expenditure of $517M. Northern Illinois University employs 240 Associate professors, 217 Professors, and 174 Instructors. Most academics at Northern Illinois University are Male Professors (146), Female Associate professors(125), and Male Associate professors (115).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Northern Illinois University are: Office and Administrative Support, with 520 employees, Service, with 409 employees, and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 251 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$82.5M

2019 Endowment

3.73%

decline from 2018

Northern Illinois University has an endowment valued at about $82.5M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of Northern Illinois University declined 3.73% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $229M 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

$16.9M - Federal
$8.87M - State
$214k - Local

As of 2019, Northern Illinois University received $16.9M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $8.87M from state grants and contracts, and $214k from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$223M

2019 Salaries

2.24%

growth from 2018

In 2019, Northern Illinois University paid a median of $223M in salaries, which represents 43.2% of their overall expenditure ($517M) and a 2.24% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.47% decline from 2017 and a 8.48% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.4% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$64.5M

Instructional Salaries

798

Number of Employees

In 2019, Northern Illinois University paid a total of $64.5M to 798 employees working as instructors, which represents 28.9% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71.1M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

240 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

520 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at Northern Illinois University were Associate professor with 240 employees; Professor with 217 employees; and Professor with 174 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Northern Illinois University were Office and Administrative Support with 520 employees; Service with 409 employees; and Computer, Engineering, and Science with 251 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Associate professor
Male Associate professor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Northern Illinois University was Male Professor with 146 employees, Female Associate professor with 125 employees, and Male Associate professor with 115 employees.

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

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