East Tennessee State University (ETSU) vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) are two public universities with distinct characteristics. ETSU, located in Johnson City, Tennessee, has an acceptance rate of 79%, while NIU, situated in DeKalb, Illinois, has an acceptance rate of 80%. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including nursing, business, and education. ETSU boasts a diverse student body, with 40% of its students identifying as minorities, while NIU's student body is predominantly White, at 63%. In terms of graduation rates, ETSU has a four-year graduation rate of 28%, while NIU's four-year graduation rate is 29%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these and other key differences between ETSU and NIU. Explore the table to discover which university
East Tennessee State University logo

East Tennessee State University

Northern Illinois University logo

Northern Illinois University

Overview

Location Johnson City, Tennessee Dekalb, Illinois
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 67.0% 67.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.4% 70.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $55
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range 19 - 26 N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score 80.0%
Total number of applicants 8,563 22,602
Total number of admissions given out 7,484 15,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,856 2,285
Yield rate 24.8% 14.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $28,704

Out of state: $32,006
$27,218
Average net price $14,482 $13,265
Tuition
In state: $7,486

Out of state: $10,788
$9,606
Room & board $9,582 $11,098
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $9,541
98.0%
Average amount $13,008
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $6,489
58.0%
Average amount $5,313
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $13,366
5.0%
Average amount $11,726

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,316
Men 38.3% Women 61.7%
11,834
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students 2,987
Men 30.7% Women 69.3%
4,400
Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 22.1% N/A
International students 2.0% 4.6%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 2,833 4,500
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Tennessee North Carolina Virginia South Carolina Georgia N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.6% 50.8%
Dropout rate 21.3% 46.9%
Transferred out 25.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,882
  • Year 2: $117,477
  • Year 3: $121,003
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,648
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $101,627
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,704
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $92,942
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,704
  • Year 2: $70,009
  • Year 3: $77,994
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,980
  • Year 2: $68,592
  • Year 3: $75,044
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,417
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $71,655
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,748
  • Year 2: $54,748
  • Year 3: $69,192
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,234
  • Year 2: $56,867
  • Year 3: $66,513
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,737
  • Year 2: $44,971
  • Year 3: $59,138
Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,039
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $58,679
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,716
  • Year 2: $98,186
  • Year 3: $125,726
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,047
  • Year 2: $88,920
  • Year 3: $96,563
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,161
  • Year 2: $91,587
  • Year 3: $94,214
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,013
  • Year 2: $70,009
  • Year 3: $76,350
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,606
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $75,980
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,752
  • Year 2: $64,150
  • Year 3: $74,168
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,234
  • Year 2: $66,989
  • Year 3: $74,151
Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,535
  • Year 2: $68,499
  • Year 3: $73,940
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,453
  • Year 2: $69,151
  • Year 3: $72,792
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,291
  • Year 2: $63,685
  • Year 3: $72,760

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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