Northern Illinois University

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

11,301

Graduate enrollment

4,066

Student–faculty ratio

15 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

47%

First-generation students

38%

Students over 25

10%

Median family income

$39,109

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$99,540

Endowment

$114,772,816

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

69.8%

Test scores

Not considered

SAT range (25th–75th %)

—

SAT average

—

SAT reading

—

SAT math

—

ACT composite

—

Cost

In-state tuition

$13,248

Room & board

$14,160

Books & supplies

$1,200

Total cost of attendance

$28,851

Average net price

$13,391

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

49%

Graduated on time (4 years)

29%

First-year retention

70%

Transferred to another college

0%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$46,113

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$57,808

Median debt at graduation

$22,162

Students with federal loans

47%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

56%

About 19% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

4,500

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

40%

Application fee

Free

Athletics

NCAA Division I-FBS

Football conference

Mid-American Conference

Varsity athletes

491 (285 men · 206 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

C

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

3.5 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

112

Property offenses (2022–2024)

48

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (15,414 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$12,797/year × about 4.6 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.