Getting in
For Fall 2024, 23,651 first-year students applied to NIU, 16,505 were admitted and 1,991 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 69.8%.
Source: IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2024, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab), first-time, degree-seeking first-year students. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. NIU does not post a Common Data Set, so these counts come from the Department of Education's IPEDS survey for Fall 2024, which gives one first-year rate for the whole university and none by major.
Source: IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2024, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Three schools add requirements to the general application:
- School of Music. An audition. Formal audition days are held in February, and each application step must be done by your audition date.
Source: NIU School of Music, Undergraduate Admissions (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- School of Nursing. A competitive program with its own application, judged on a full admission profile that includes grades in prerequisite courses; you need a prerequisite GPA and an overall GPA of at least 2.75. For a fall program start, the application opens November 1 and closes January 15.
Source: NIU School of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- School of Theatre and Dance. An audition or interview for the B.F.A. in acting or design and technology. You must have applied to NIU by then, though you need not be admitted yet.
Source: NIU School of Theatre and Dance, Undergraduate Admissions (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: NIU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshman (First-year) Student Application (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
63 majors across 1 school. Every bachelor's major in NIU's official 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog. Minors, certificates and graduate programs are left out.
Bachelor's majors, A to Z63
- Accountancy (B.S.)
- Actuarial Science (B.S.)
- Anthropology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Applied Management (B.S.)
- Art (B.A. or B.S.)
- Art and Design Education (B.S.Ed.)
- Art History and Visual Studies (B.A.)
- Art Studio and Design (B.F.A.)
- Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.)
- Biological Sciences (B.S.)
- Biomedical Engineering (B.S.)
- Business Administration (B.S.)
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Communication Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Communicative Disorders (B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.S.)
- Contract Major (B.A. or B.S.)
- Criminology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Dance Performance (B.F.A.)
- Early Childhood Education (B.S.)
- Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (B.S.)
- Economics (B.A. or B.S.)
- Electrical Engineering (B.S.)
- Elementary Education (B.S.Ed.)
- Engineering Technology (B.S.)
- English (B.A. or B.S.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Finance (B.S.)
- Health Sciences (B.S.)
- History (B.A. or B.S.)
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Comprehensive Major (B.S.)
- Industrial and Systems Engineering (B.S.)
- Journalism (B.A. or B.S.)
- Kinesiology (B.S.)
- Management (B.S.)
- Marketing (B.S.)
- Mathematical Sciences (B.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)
- Mechatronics Engineering (B.S.)
- Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.S.)
- Meteorology (B.S.)
- Middle Level Teaching and Learning (B.S.Ed.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Music (B.M.)
- Nonprofit and NGO Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- Nursing (B.S.)
- Nutrition Sciences (B.S.)
- Operations and Information Management (B.S.)
- Philosophy (B.A. or B.S.)
- Physical Education (B.S.Ed.)
- Physics (B.S.)
- Political Science (B.A. or B.S.)
- Psychology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Public Health (B.S.)
- Public Service Leadership (School of Public and Global Affairs) (B.S.)
- Sociology (B.A. or B.S.)
- Special Education (B.S.Ed.)
- Sport Management (B.S.)
- Statistics (B.S.)
- Theatre Arts (B.F.A.)
- Theatre Studies (B.A.)
- Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (B.A. or B.S.)
- World Languages and Cultures (B.A.)
Source: NIU Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Undergraduate Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merit scholarship priority deadline | February 1 | not published | No |
| Review deadline (GPA below 3.0) | July 15 | not published | No |
| General deadline | August 1 | Usually two to four weeks after your file is complete | No |
NIU publishes no early decision or early action plan: most applicants can apply any time between the opening date (August 1 for fall) and the general deadline. Apply by February 1 to be considered for merit scholarships; awards continue after that while funds last. Freshmen with a GPA below 3.0 should apply by the July 15 review deadline, because their applications get a holistic review. Admitted students confirm by August 15. A deadline that falls on a weekend moves to the next Monday.
Source: NIU Undergraduate Admissions, Application Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
NIU is test-free: SAT and ACT scores are not considered for general admission or merit scholarships, even if you send them. A cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher guarantees general admission, though some limited-admission programs add requirements; below 3.0, your application gets a holistic review. A few other scholarships still require the SAT or ACT, and NCAA Division I athletes need a score for eligibility.
Source: NIU Undergraduate Admissions, Test-free Admissions Processes (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked NIU's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: NIU Undergraduate Admissions, Freshman (First-year) Student Application (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at NIU, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $11,010 |
|---|---|
| Fees | $3,390 |
| Loan fees | $74 |
| Living expenses (on campus) | $15,046 |
| Transportation | $2,160 |
| Books, supplies, course materials and equipment | $632 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $1,560 |
| Total | $33,872 |
For a full-time undergraduate (12 or more hours a semester) living on campus; living expenses are the average on-campus housing allowance with the Huskie Block 19 meal plan. Tuition is higher for engineering ($12,210), computer science ($11,970) and nursing ($11,370) majors. Fees leave out the student health insurance plan. The aid office gives one budget, with no separate out-of-state figure.
Source: NIU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, What Are My Costs? (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,126 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,854 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,797 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,612 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,834 |
| All incomes | $13,391 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from NIU's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Northern Illinois University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL · Public75.8% admitted$10,974 average net price
Miami UniversityOxford, OH · Public75.4% admitted$28,384 average net price
Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL · Public85.5% admitted$19,398 average net price
Kent State UniversityKent, OH · Public62.7% admitted$20,787 average net price
Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI · Public83.6% admitted$12,766 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.