NIU acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Northern Illinois University · Public · Dekalb, IL · 11,358 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
NIU admitted 70.5% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 56.1% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $13,792 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 56.1% | 25,914 | 14,545 |
| 2014 | 50.9% | 19,814 | 10,083 |
| 2015 | 50.4% | 17,099 | 8,610 |
| 2016 | 51.8% | 14,980 | 7,766 |
| 2017 | 53.3% | 14,641 | 7,806 |
| 2018 | 54.4% | 14,157 | 7,698 |
| 2019 | 48.4% | 15,693 | 7,588 |
| 2020 | 59.2% | 16,690 | 9,888 |
| 2021 | 70.4% | 22,602 | 15,922 |
| 2022 | 70.7% | 25,961 | 18,348 |
| 2023 | 70.5% | 24,177 | 17,033 |
Applications went from 25,914 in fall 2013 to 24,177 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $12,319 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $11,502 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,387 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,105 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,295 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $13,792 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $29,642 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $14,505 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| UIC IL | 78.5% | $14,652 in-state |
| Illinois State IL | 89.0% | $16,152 in-state |
| UIUC IL | 43.7% | $16,354 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
For fall 2023 NIU reported 24,177 applications and 17,033 admitted students, a rate of 70.5%.1 The rate in fall 2013 was 56.1%, and it has risen 14.4 percentage points, though it was 48.4% as recently as fall 2019.1 Declines occurred in 4 of the 10 yearly changes, and the rate moved from 59.2% in fall 2020 to 70.4% in fall 2021.1 Applications are 7% lower than in fall 2013, falling from 25,914 to 24,177, while admits grew 17%.1
NIU is test-blind, which means admission does not use SAT or ACT scores and none are reported.1
Tuition and fees are $13,792 for 2025-26 whatever a student's residence, which is above the $13,668 median of the 12 public bachelor's colleges in Illinois.2 Net price for NIU students in 2024-25 averaged $12,319 in the $0 to $30,000 band and $13,387 in the $48,001 to $75,000 band, then reached $24,295 once income passed $110,000.2
Of 2019 entrants, 48% graduated within 6 years, below the 57% median across 59 Illinois colleges, and 70% of the fall 2023 class returned.2 Median earnings were $61,351 at 10 years after entry, and borrowers carried a median debt of $19,555.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 24,177 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 17,033 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 2,202 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 11,358 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $13,792 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $29,642 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $14,505 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $12,319 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $11,502 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,387 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,105 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $24,295 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 48% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 70% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 52% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $61,351 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,555 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, Illinois (N = 12) | $13,668 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Illinois (N = 59) | 57% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with NIU, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page