Northern Illinois University
#6 Best Engineering Colleges in Illinois- Graduation Rate
- 49% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $57,808 B+
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $13,391 C+
- 22% less than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 70% C+
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 28.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $28.9 over 20 years. Ranked #6 in Best Engineering Colleges in Illinois.
Every $1 spent returns $28.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,491,886.
What The Data Says
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A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Earnings 42% above the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $28.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.5%
- Top 46%
- Patents
- 116
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 137
- Downstream influence
Why Northern Illinois University Matters
Northern Illinois University is a public research university in Dekalb, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R2 · High Research
- Enrollment
- 11,301
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Education, Psychology
Why students choose Northern Illinois University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 70% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $13,391 a year after grants and scholarships — 22% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $57,808 ten years after enrolling — 42% above the typical college, against $22,162 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.6% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 41% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.59 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Nearly 11,301 students call Northern Illinois University home, with a 70% acceptance rate making it accessible for many. This large public university offers diverse programs, particularly strong in Business, Health Professions, and Education.
When examining outcomes, Northern Illinois University graduates earn an average of $57,808 within ten years of completing their degrees. While the graduation rate sits at 49%, the school plays a significant role in helping students from lower-income backgrounds, with 47% of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. This indicates a commitment to supporting those who may need additional financial assistance.
The net price for attending Northern Illinois University is approximately $13,391, with median debt for graduates around $22,162. Students who thrive here typically pursue degrees in practical fields like Engineering and Psychology. The combination of affordability and potential earning power makes this university a solid choice for those focused on their future careers.
Rankings
- #6 Best Engineering Colleges in Illinois
- #8 Best Online Colleges in Illinois
- #8 Best Education Colleges in Illinois
- #8 Best Communications Colleges in Illinois
- #9 Best Bachelor's Programs in Illinois
- #9 Best Master's Programs in Illinois
- #9 Best Psychology Colleges in Illinois
- #10 Best Colleges in Illinois
Can I Get In?
How selective Northern Illinois University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Northern Illinois University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Northern Illinois University, located in Dekalb, Illinois, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 70% of applicants receiving an offer. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 70%
- Retention Rate
- 70%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 75%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $11,060
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 14:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.71
- First-Gen Students
- 38%
- Applicants
- 25,961
- Admitted
- 18,348
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northern Illinois University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Northern Illinois University is $13,248, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $13,391. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,126 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,162 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $13,248
- Out-of-State
- $13,248
- Avg Net Price
- $13,391
- Median Debt
- $22,162
- Pell Grant Rate
- 47%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 47%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $10,126
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,854
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $12,797
- Family Income $110K+
- $21,834
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Northern Illinois University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Northern Illinois University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $57,808, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $46,113
- 8 Years
- $51,305
- 10 Years
- $57,808
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.38x
- Earning > $25K
- 71%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (671)
- 27%
- 100% (671)
- 27%
- 100% (671)
- 27%
- 100% (671)
- 27%
How Northern Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Northern Illinois University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Northern Illinois University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $13,391/year ($53,564 total). Graduates earn $57,808 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,545,450 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,491,886 (28.9× your investment). The median debt is $22,162, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 49% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $53,564
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,545,450
- Net Return
- $1,491,886
- ROI Multiple
- 28.9×
- Cost Per Year
- $13,391
- Median Debt
- $22,162
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 49%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Northern Illinois University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Northern Illinois University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.63%, well above the typical college. About 5.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $97,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.63%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 30.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 5.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $132,740
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Northern Illinois University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 116 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.50%
- Top 46% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 116
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 137
- Downstream influence
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $92,575
Top Programs
The fields Northern Illinois University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 16% $68,105 early-career
- Health Professions 14% $78,330 early-career
- Education 10% $51,421 early-career
- Psychology 9% $35,805 early-career
- Engineering 7% $79,596 early-career
- Social Sciences 6% $56,154 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 6% $32,492 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 5% $70,720 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Northern Illinois University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Northern Illinois University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Northern Illinois University, located in Dekalb, Illinois, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 70% of applicants receiving an offer. The graduation rate is roughly 49%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northern Illinois University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Northern Illinois University is $13,248, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $13,391. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,126 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,162 in federal student loans.
Is Northern Illinois University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $57,808, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Northern Illinois University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Northern Illinois University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.63%, well above the typical college. About 5.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $97,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Northern Illinois University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Northern Illinois University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.59, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Northern Illinois University.
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO · Close peer47% grad $64,270 earn 75% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Kean UniversityUnion, NJ · Close peer45% grad $57,237 earn 76% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE · Close peer47% grad $53,909 earn 87% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Central Connecticut State UniversityNew Britain, CT · Close peer49% grad $58,562 earn 73% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · Close peer54% grad $55,198 earn 76% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · Close peer56% grad $59,637 earn 72% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Northern Illinois University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Northern Illinois University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.59, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note