Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Northern Illinois University Featured Rankings
About Northern Illinois University
According to Wikipedia, Northern Illinois University is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld to provide the state with college-educated teachers. In addition to the main campus in DeKalb, it has satellite centers in Chicago, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon, Illinois.
Northern Illinois University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24,177 | 70% | 70% | 48% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Northern Illinois University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,792 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,319 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,502 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,387 |
| 75K - 110K | $20,105 |
| 110K+ | $24,295 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Northern Illinois University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Northern Illinois University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $61,351 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Northern Illinois University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 17,359 | 12,379 | 4,980 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Northern Illinois University?
Northern Illinois University is located at 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy., Dekalb, IL 60115-2828.
How Safe is Northern Illinois University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Northern Illinois University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Northern Illinois University has a violent crime rate of 0.22% and a property crime rate of 0.16%. Dekalb has a violent crime rate of 0.40% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.52%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Northern Illinois University Known For?
Northern Illinois University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Communications
- Literature
- Political Science
- History
- Biology
- Physics
- Education
- Engineering
- Law
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Business
- Social Work
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Medical
Northern Illinois University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Northern Illinois University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Northern Illinois University ranks #117 in the U.S. and #329 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #122 in the U.S. and #455 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #169 in the U.S. and #689 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #199 in the U.S. and #704 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #203 in the U.S. and #576 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #206 in the U.S. and #791 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #213 in the U.S. and #607 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #218 in the U.S. and #786 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #223 in the U.S. and #955 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #224 in the U.S. and #928 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #226 in the U.S. and #1256 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #237 in the U.S. and #758 worldwide for influence in Law.
Northern Illinois University ranks #242 in the U.S. and #1181 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #243 in the U.S. and #887 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #245 in the U.S. and #798 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #247 in the U.S. and #809 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #254 in the U.S. and #614 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #281 in the U.S. and #1500 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #310 in the U.S. and #1325 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #328 in the U.S. and #878 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #376 in the U.S. and #933 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNorthern Illinois University ranks #406 in the U.S. and #1476 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWho Are Northern Illinois University's Most Influential Alumni?
Northern Illinois University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics. Here are some of Northern Illinois University's most famous alumni:
- Paul Sereno
- An American paleontologist .
- Kenneth Womack
- A Writer and critic.
- W. Willard Wirtz
- An American Secretary of Labor .
- Robert Zemeckis
- An American film director, producer and screenwriter.
- Steven Schafersman
- An American geologist.
- David Roediger
- An American historian.
- Bharath Sriraman
- An Indian mathematician.
- Chel Diokno
- A Filipino lawyer.
- Dan Castellaneta
- An American actor .
- Judith Curry
- An American climatologist.
- Kevin Folta
- A Researcher.
- Javed Ashraf
- A Pakistani academic and economist.
Who Are Northern Illinois University's Most Influential Faculty?
Northern Illinois University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics. Here are some of Northern Illinois University's most famous faculty:
