North Park University vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

North Park University and Northern Illinois University, both located in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. North Park, a private Christian university, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Northern Illinois, a public research university. While North Park excels in liberal arts and sciences, Northern Illinois offers a wider range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including engineering, business, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about the differences in tuition, graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and preferences.
North Park University logo

North Park University

Northern Illinois University logo

Northern Illinois University

Overview

Location Chicago, Illinois Dekalb, Illinois
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 70.0% 67.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 67.1% 70.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
SAT range 890 - 1162 N/A
ACT range 20 - 26 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 19.0%
Students submitting ACT score 6.0%
Total number of applicants 4,053 22,602
Total number of admissions given out 2,721 15,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll 464 2,285
Yield rate 17.1% 14.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $47,375 $27,218
Average net price $20,260 $13,265
Tuition $32,380 $9,606
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,160

Meal plan: $5,430
$11,098
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $19,942
98.0%
Average amount $13,008
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,488
58.0%
Average amount $5,313
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $11,842
5.0%
Average amount $11,726

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,849
Men 40.5% Women 59.5%
11,834
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students 900
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
4,400
Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 19.9% N/A
International students 5.6% 4.6%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 975 4,500
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Michigan Minnesota Indiana Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Theology
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 61.2% 50.8%
Dropout rate 38.5% 46.9%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,035
  • Year 2: $101,701
  • Year 3: $102,196
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,814
  • Year 2: $63,826
  • Year 3: $68,658
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,735
  • Year 2: $58,303
  • Year 3: $68,598
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,020
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $51,484
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,981
  • Year 2: $45,584
  • Year 3: $50,369
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,705
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $42,488
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,833
  • Year 2: $30,228
  • Year 3: $41,110
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,424
  • Year 3: $36,568
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,061
  • Year 2: $32,094
  • Year 3: $34,344
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,644
  • Year 2: $24,421
  • Year 3: $31,996
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

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