Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Location Dekalb, IL
Population 300,000
Map of the United States

Weather

Comfortable Days 105 (50%)
Sunshine Hours 2,508 (33%)
Days Without Precipitation 241 (38%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 10,642
Men / Women 47% / 53%
From State 92%
From Region 3%
Athletes 4.9%

Racial/Ethnic

White 41%
Hispanic 26%
Black 22%
Asian 6%
International 2%
Native American 1%
Mixed 1%

Schools & Majors

Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Northern Illinois University 2,557 45% / 55% 2% $64,229 80 96%
Biomedical Engineering 11 64% / 36% 0% $81,245 93 100%
Electrical Engineering 42 93% / 7% 14% $89,623 96 99%
Industrial Engineering 17 71% / 29% 12% $92,220 97 97%
Mechanical Engineering 106 91% / 9% 3% $89,875 96 97%
Computer Science 139 85% / 15% 6% $88,958 96 96%
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology 15 93% / 7% 0% $69,322 85 95%
Chemistry 23 +2 48% / 52% 0% $64,509 80 94%
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences 9 44% / 56% 22% $64,492 80
Geosciences 13 54% / 46% 0% $65,049 81
Mathematics 19 +6 47% / 53% 0% $76,389 90 94%
Physics 5 100% / 0% 0% $74,043 88
Statistics 5 +2 40% / 60% 0% $77,700 91
Biology 63 27% / 73% 0% $66,313 82 95%
Dietetics/Dietitian 9 11% / 89% 0% $54,351 64 91%
Environmental Studies 27 +1 30% / 70% 0% $50,039 54 100%
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 16 31% / 69% 0% $72,013 87 97%
Communication Sciences and Disorders 25 0% / 100% 4% $55,768 67 97%
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 21 19% / 81% 10% $60,230 75 92%
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 125 23% / 77% 0% $56,431 68 97%
Nursing 154 14% / 86% 0% $81,775 93 100%
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 55 56% / 44% 4% $53,389 62 95%
Accounting 97 56% / 44% 1% $86,817 95 96%
Actuarial Science 2 0% / 100% 0% $68,122 84
Business Analytics 71 +1 54% / 46% 0% $68,122 84 98%
Business Management and Administration 54 +1 61% / 39% 2% $79,404 92 97%
Economics 22 86% / 14% 0% $72,101 87 96%
Finance 62 +2 79% / 21% 3% $82,636 93 98%
Hospitality Management 5 20% / 80% 0% $59,638 74 100%
Marketing 82 63% / 37% 1% $70,883 86 97%
Operations Management 38 +1 82% / 18% 5% $79,404 92 97%
Sports Management 53 85% / 15% 4% $53,389 62 95%
Anthropology 9 22% / 78% 0% $51,060 57 78%
English 40 +1 42% / 57% 0% $45,971 43 94%
Ethnic Studies 2 +2 50% / 50% 0%
French 3 33% / 67% 0% $55,604 67 95%
Geography 3 100% / 0% 33% $62,418 78 90%
German +1 $55,553 66
History 33 +1 73% / 27% 0% $55,704 67 92%
Human Development and Family Studies 63 +1 3% / 97% 0% $47,576 48 93%
Human Services 4 +1 0% / 100% 0% $48,748 51 92%
Journalism 10 80% / 20% 0% $49,054 52 98%
Philosophy 7 +2 71% / 29% 0% $47,450 47
Political Science 74 +2 45% / 55% 3% $62,961 78 92%
Psychology 239 +6 20% / 80% 1% $49,159 52 96%
Sociology 25 +1 24% / 76% 0% $51,662 58 91%
Spanish 15 13% / 87% 0% $55,604 67 95%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 90 54% / 46% 0% $58,765 72 93%
Early Childhood Education 66 5% / 95% 0% $50,040 54 98%
Elementary Education 101 5% / 95% 0% $50,040 54 98%
General Education 89 55% / 45% 1% $52,594 60 94%
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 16 19% / 81% 0% $50,040 54 98%
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 25 64% / 36% 0% $55,586 67 94%
Special Education 24 21% / 79% 4% $59,538 74 98%
Apparel and Textiles 5 40% / 60% 0% $59,181 73 96%
Art Education 13 0% / 100% 0% $55,586 67 94%
Art History +1 $42,535 32 91%
Fine Arts 19 47% / 53% 0% $42,535 32 91%
Fine/Studio Arts 49 35% / 65% 0% $42,535 32 91%
Music 6 +1 67% / 33% 0% $32,604 10 96%
Music Performance 42 55% / 45% 2% $32,604 10 96%
Theater 27 33% / 67% 0% $39,526 24 94%
Criminology 28 +4 25% / 75% 0% $55,272 66
Engineering Technologies 45 76% / 24% 2% $88,713 96 99%

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $13,918
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $14,094
Est. In-State Cost $18,004
Est. Out-of-State Cost $18,232
ROI Percentile 80th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 70%
4-Year Graduation Rate 29%
6-Year Graduation Rate 49%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

% Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Humanities & Social Sciences 24.1% 617 33% / 67% 1% $52,566 60 94%
Business & Economics 19.0% 486 66% / 34% 2% $74,793 89 97%
Health Sciences 15.5% 396 23% / 77% 1% $66,654 82 98%
Education 12.6% 321 25% / 75% 1% $51,890 59 97%
Engineering 6.9% 176 88% / 12% 6% $89,502 96 98%
Arts 6.3% 161 40% / 60% 1% $40,640 27 93%
Computer Science 5.4% 139 85% / 15% 6% $88,958 96 96%
Physical Sciences & Math 3.5% 89 58% / 42% 2% $69,210 84 94%
Professional 2.9% 73 56% / 44% 1% $75,886 89 99%
Life & Natural Sciences 2.5% 63 27% / 73% 0% $66,313 82 95%
Agriculture & Food Science 1.4% 36 25% / 75% 0% $51,117 57 98%

Research R2

Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Physical Sciences & Math $9.7M #179 69% $0.1M 24 #111 125 9
Humanities & Social Sciences $9.1M #154 15% $0.0M 34 #135 105 2
Engineering $7.2M #201 49% $0.6M 12 1
Health Sciences $2.8M #187 4% $0 12 #125 60
Education $1.2M #215 35% $0 57 #44
Computer Science $1.2M #218 52% $0 1 #193 15
Life & Natural Sciences $1.1M #307 60% $0 4 #185 29 3
Business & Economics $0.7M #232 0% $0 2 #225 22
Agriculture & Food Science $0.4M #192 72% $0
Total $33.3M #222 41% $0.7M 134 #148 368 15

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 52%
Yield (Unbound) 12%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 52% 52% 52%

Standardized Tests

Test Policy blind