WIFR · Oct 12, 2026
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public · 11,301 undergraduates
View all rankings (17)
Ranks compare the colleges included in each category. Changes below refer to the last 30 days. How rankings work
College Index#451 / 1,219Top Salaries#584 / 1,208Best Value#183 / 1,187Most Affordable#327 / 1,211Academic Excellence#860 / 1,205Best Athletics#425 / 1,219Best Social Life#258 / 1,111Most Diverse#259 / 1,219Most Buzzy#200 / 1,191Safest Campuses#159 / 1,191Best Weather#749 / 1,219Highest Graduation Rates#853 / 1,185Lowest Student Debt#291 / 1,205Best Retention#916 / 1,202Best for First-Gen Students#404 / 1,165Best Public Universities#208 / 530Higher-Admit, High-Value Colleges#689 / 1,027
At a glance — A mid-size public school in Dekalb, IL.
Admissions & student progress
See the reported academic profile and how students progress through college.
Graduation & retention
Graduation rate49.2%
Graduation rateHigher than ~28%
Median 59.1% · 1,185 reporting colleges. Show comparison details for Graduation rate
Middle 50%: 47.4%–70.7%
Compared with colleges with reported data in College Index. Percentiles are rounded and split tied values evenly.
The dot marks this college, the line marks the median, and the shaded band shows the middle 50%. The axis covers the 10th–90th percentiles; values beyond it appear at the edges.
First-year retention69.6%
Retention rateHigher than ~21%
Median 77.9% · 1,202 reporting colleges. Show comparison details for Retention rate
Middle 50%: 70.9%–85.2%
Compared with colleges with reported data in College Index. Percentiles are rounded and split tied values evenly.
The dot marks this college, the line marks the median, and the shaded band shows the middle 50%. The axis covers the 10th–90th percentiles; values beyond it appear at the edges.
Retention tracks full-time, first-time students returning for a second year. Graduation describes the source’s entering cohort; its completion window is not recorded in this published snapshot.
Source: College Scorecard institution data. Measurement period: not recorded in the published data. Site data refresh: 2026-08-30. Source dates & coverage
Cost & Aid
Start with annual costs, then estimate how grants and scholarships could change what your family pays.
Annual tuition & fees
$13,248
In-state · Per academic year, before aid
Housing, meals, books, and other living expenses are additional.
Annual net cost after aid
$13,391
Historical average per academic year · In-state students
Includes tuition and living costs, minus grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid.
This in-state average stays the same when you switch tuition residency. Out-of-state aid and net costs can differ.
Estimate your family's cost
Your household income, assets, residency, and aid eligibility affect your price. Use the school's calculator for a personal estimate.
Opens this school's federal College Navigator record, which lists its calculator link. You can also visit the school's website.
Median federal debt at graduation
$22,162
Total accumulated debt among graduates who borrowed federal student loans. Excludes private and parent loans.
Students receiving Pell Grants
47.3%
Share of undergraduates receiving this need-based federal grant.
Annual net costLower than ~80%
Median $20k · 1,195 reporting colleges. Show comparison details for Annual net cost
Middle 50%: $14,471–$26,504
Compared with colleges with reported data in College Index. Percentiles are rounded and split tied values evenly.
The dot marks this college, the line marks the median, and the shaded band shows the middle 50%. The axis covers the 10th–90th percentiles; values beyond it appear at the edges.
Total federal debtLower than ~56%
Median $23k · 1,205 reporting colleges. Show comparison details for Total federal debt
Middle 50%: $19,750–$25,439
Compared with colleges with reported data in College Index. Percentiles are rounded and split tied values evenly.
The dot marks this college, the line marks the median, and the shaded band shows the middle 50%. The axis covers the 10th–90th percentiles; values beyond it appear at the edges.
Earnings-to-net-price ratio: 4.3×. Compares annual earnings 10 years after enrollment with one year of net cost; it does not measure lifetime return.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Reporting years are unavailable for these imported figures and may differ by measure.
Source retrieved: 2026-07-15 · Site data refresh: 2026-08-30. These dates are separate from the years measured.
Majors & outcomes
Explore fields of study alongside school-wide earnings.
Popular majors
Explore all majors →Select a major to explore other colleges offering it. Shares are of the 596 completions across these 5 listed majors, not all degrees awarded by this college.
- Psychology, General213 completions · 35.7% of listed
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing124 completions · 20.8% of listed
- Accounting and Related Services104 completions · 17.4% of listed
- Business Administration, Management and Operations94 completions · 15.8% of listed
- Communication and Media Studies61 completions · 10.2% of listed
Gender breakdown by major
Reported male/female shares from IPEDS bachelor's completions, first majors (2023-24). Shares use the reported gender counts, which can differ in coverage or year from the completion totals above.
- Psychology, General25.8% male · 74.2% female
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing16.9% male · 83.1% female
- Accounting and Related Services57.7% male · 42.3% female
- Business Administration, Management and Operations68.1% male · 31.9% female
- Communication and Media Studies54.1% male · 45.9% female
Completions: IPEDS 2023-24 where available; otherwise College Scorecard program data (reporting year unavailable). This is a selection of popular bachelor's majors, not the full program catalog.
Earnings after enrollment
- 6 years after enrollment
- $46,113
- 10 years after enrollment
- $57,808
Median annual earnings
Median annual earnings
10-year median earningsHigher than ~55%
Median $56k · 1,203 reporting colleges. Show comparison details for 10-year median earnings
Middle 50%: $48,449–$64,997
Compared with colleges with reported data in College Index. Percentiles are rounded and split tied values evenly.
The dot marks this college, the line marks the median, and the shaded band shows the middle 50%. The axis covers the 10th–90th percentiles; values beyond it appear at the edges.
School-wide outcomes for federally aided students who are working and not enrolled at the measurement date, including students who did not graduate. These are not program-specific earnings or starting salaries.
Source: College Scorecard institution data. Measurement period: not recorded in the published data. Site data refresh: 2026-08-30. Source dates & coverage
Trends over time
See how published rankings and reported outcomes change across available observations.
Ending Aug 30, 2026
No change between Mar 14, 2026 to Aug 30, 2026: #451.
Northern Illinois University
Hover, tap, or focus a point to see the exact date and value.
View data table (10 dates)
| Publication date | Northern Illinois University |
|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2026 | #451 |
| Jun 29, 2026 | #449 |
| Jul 9, 2026 | #451 |
| Jul 15, 2026 | #451 |
| Jul 26, 2026 | #451 |
| Aug 2, 2026 | #451 |
| Aug 9, 2026 | #451 |
| Aug 16, 2026 | #451 |
| Aug 23, 2026 | #451 |
| Aug 30, 2026 | #451 |
Source: archived College Index editions, dated by publication. Changes in methodology or the colleges included can move a rank. The lines show recorded ranks, not changes in school quality. Sources & methodology
Campus life
Explore the community, surroundings, and activities that shape everyday life.
Student community
11,301 undergraduate students
- Men
- 47.0%
- Women
- 53.0%
38.3% first-generation students in the reported cohort
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 41.9%
- Black
- 21.0%
- Hispanic
- 25.8%
- Asian
- 6.4%
- Other / unclassified
- 0.9%
Source: College Scorecard institution data. Measurement period: not recorded in the published data. Site data refresh: 2026-08-30. Source dates & coverage
Reported campus safety
13.89 reported incidents per 1,000 students
On-campus reports include offenses, arrests, and disciplinary referrals. Reporting practices affect comparisons.
Incident breakdown & score definition
- Violent offenses / VAWA reports
- 11
- Property offenses
- 61
- Drug, alcohol & weapons reports
- 85
Counts are the pipeline’s rounded annual averages over up to three survey years; specific years are not recorded in this published snapshot. The incident rate divides the combined count by reported undergraduate enrollment.
96.8 / 100
The safety index scales reported incidents per student against other included colleges. Higher scores mean a lower relative reported rate; they do not establish that a campus is safe or predict individual risk.
Source: Campus Safety and Security Survey. Measurement period: not recorded in the published data. Site data refresh: 2026-08-30. Source dates & coverage
Compare reported safety measuresCampus weather
Cool and partly cloudy, moderate snow
- Average temperature
- 44°F
- Sunny days
- 189
- Rainfall
- 39 in
- Snowfall
- 30 in
- Relative humidity
- 68%
September–May
Per year
Per year
Per year
Average
Climate baseline & score
46.6 / 100
The weather score reflects preferences for mild temperatures and sunshine. These climate averages describe long-term conditions, not a current forecast.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals. Measurement period: 1991-2020 normals. Source dates & coverage
Athletics
25.1 / 100
Athletics details & score definition
A published composite of championship history, institutional characteristics, and available athletics and interest measures. It does not measure the experience of an individual athlete or access to a team.
Financial and sports-count details are unavailable from an approved athletics source. Legacy estimates are omitted.
Athletics ranking & methodologyRecent news (5)
NIU Athletics · Oct 7, 2026
Daily Herald · Oct 11, 2026
WIFR · Oct 13, 2026
Sent-trib · Oct 12, 2026
Source: Google News. Headlines link to external publishers.
Similar Schools
These colleges have the closest mix of available scores across academics, value, outcomes, and campus life. Cost and admission-rate differences below are relative to Northern Illinois University.
Kean University
Union, NJ · Public
Closest score matches: earnings (same score) and academics (same score).
- Avg net price / year
- $12,447
- $944 less per year
- Admission rate
- 75.9%
- 6.1 percentage points higher
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ · Public
Closest score matches: diversity (less than 1 point apart) and social life (less than 1 point apart).
- Avg net price / year
- $15,566
- $2,175 more per year
- Admission rate
- 87.9%
- 18.1 percentage points higher
Portland State University
Portland, OR · Public
Closest score matches: athletics (less than 1 point apart) and earnings (less than 1 point apart).
- Avg net price / year
- $9,552
- $3,839 less per year
- Admission rate
- 90.9%
- 21.1 percentage points higher
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Public
Closest score matches: social life (less than 1 point apart) and athletics (less than 1 point apart).
- Avg net price / year
- $11,668
- $1,723 less per year
- Admission rate
- 76.4%
- 6.6 percentage points higher
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT · Public
Closest score matches: diversity (less than 1 point apart) and athletics (less than 1 point apart).
- Avg net price / year
- $20,857
- $7,466 more per year
- Admission rate
- 91.5%
- 21.7 percentage points higher
Mercy University
Dobbs Ferry, NY · Private Nonprofit
Closest score matches: athletics (less than 1 point apart) and academics (2 points apart).
- Avg net price / year
- $14,072
- $681 more per year
- Admission rate
- 85.8%
- 16.1 percentage points higher
Net prices are historical averages after grants and scholarships; your offer may differ. Admission rates describe past applicants and do not predict your chances.
Social life
39.3 / 100
A campus-life estimate using institutional characteristics and available interest signals.
What this score measures
Inputs can include student population, admission rate, campus setting, climate, and party or Greek-life search interest. This is a proxy score, not a student satisfaction survey or a count of clubs and activities.
The current source policy excludes legacy simulated search-interest data. Published scores may come from an earlier snapshot; no raw search-interest figures are shown here.
Social life ranking & methodology