Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public

Visit Website →
70.5%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Median SAT
$57,808
Median Earnings
24,177
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Up 16.1 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Electrical, Electronics and Co... $66,989
$9,348 $160,116
Registered Nursing, Nursing Ad... $65,924
$9,348 $160,116
Mechanical Engineering $64,150
$9,348 $160,116
Industrial Engineering $62,409
$9,348 $160,116
Computer Science $59,519
$9,348 $160,116
Engineering Technology, Genera... $57,888
$9,348 $160,116
Accounting and Related Service... $57,318
$9,348 $160,116
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Sc... $56,415
$9,348 $160,116
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 24,177 17,033 70.5% 12.9%
2022 25,961 18,348 70.7% 13.3%
2021 22,602 15,922 70.5% 14.3%
2020 16,690 9,888 59.3% 20.7%
2019 15,693 7,588 48.4% 25.0%
2018 14,157 7,698 54.4% 24.1%
2017 14,641 7,806 53.3% 23.7%
2016 14,980 7,766 51.8% 23.2%
2015 17,099 8,610 50.3% 26.2%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$57,808
Median Earnings (6 years)
$46,113
Median Debt
$22,162
6-Year Graduation Rate
49.6%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

In-State Tuition
$9,464
Out-of-State Tuition
$9,464
Fees
$2,888
Room & Board
$10,880
Total Cost of Attendance
$23,232

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $9,047
$30-48k income $9,740
$48-75k income $12,674
$75-110k income $17,806
$110k+ income $21,307

Popular Majors

  • 1 Psychology, General
  • 2 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
  • 3 Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
  • 4 Marketing
  • 5 Computer Science

Highest Earning Majors

  • Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $66,989
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing $65,924
  • Mechanical Engineering $64,150
  • Industrial Engineering $62,409
  • Computer Science $59,519

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 15,504
International 7%
Women 55%
Race/Ethnicity
White 44%
Hispanic 21%
Black 18%
Asian 6%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 88%
Avg: $11,178 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 46%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 49%
Avg: $6,535
School's Own Grants 96%
Avg: $6,286 from school funds