by our College Data Analytics TeamHome to about 12,277 undergraduates in 2020, NIU is a large, public university located in Dekalb, Illinois. A safe, suburban environment can offer many of the amenities of city living without the constant hum. Should you tire of the campus however, NIU offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by NIU can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our NIU Guide to Distance and Online Learning.
Individuals with disabilities make up 5.0% of the student population at NIU. For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit NIU Disability Services.
While not a "service academy", NIU does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit NIU Veteran Services . For more information, check out our NIU for Veterans Guide.
For students with young families, NIU does offer some day care. Programs like this are often in very high demand, so be sure to inquire as soon as you can.
NIU offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.
* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.
NIU has a comparatively large, student body. There were 12,277 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 10,472 (85.3%). Part-time attendance was 1,805 (14.7%).
| Full-time | Part-time | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 10,472 | 1,805 | 12,277 |
Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, NIU receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank NIU #489 out of 3,451.
The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.
You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at NIU by looking closer at the ethnic, gender, age, and geographic diversity metrics from the NIU Diversity Guide.
NIU has a total of 467 student athletes, 244 men and 223 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.
| Total Revenue (all teams) | $20,465,019 |
| Total Expenses (all teams) | $20,465,019 |
| Net | $0 |
For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Northern Illinois University Athletics