Northern Illinois University (NIU) vs Ferris State

Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Ferris State University (FSU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. NIU, located in DeKalb, Illinois, boasts a larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to FSU in Big Rapids, Michigan. While NIU excels in programs like Psychology, Business, and Education, FSU shines in fields such as Engineering Technology, Construction, and Health Sciences. Both universities cater to diverse student populations, with NIU having a slightly higher percentage of female students and FSU having a slightly higher percentage of international students. When it comes to graduation rates, NIU holds a slight edge over FSU. To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two esteemed universities. Dive in to discover which institution aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Ferris State University	Northern Illinois University
Overview
Location	Big Rapids, Michigan	Dekalb, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	77.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.8%	70.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	930 - 1150	N/A
ACT range	19 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	66.0%
Students submitting ACT score	5.0%
Total number of applicants	10,480	22,602
Total number of admissions given out	8,884	15,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,405	2,285
Yield rate	15.8%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$24,285	$27,218
Average net price	$13,624	$13,265
Tuition	$12,740	$9,606
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,450 Meal plan: $4,678	$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)	90.0% Average amount $10,575	98.0% Average amount $13,008
Students receiving federal student loan	54.0% Average amount $5,319	58.0% Average amount $5,313
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $12,922	5.0% Average amount $11,726

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,248 Men 47.2% Women 52.8%	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students	1,113 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	6.6%	N/A
International students	1.4%	4.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	3,312	4,500
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Florida Indiana Wisconsin	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.7%	50.8%
Dropout rate	39.2%	46.9%
Transferred out	10.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $110,849 Year 2: $123,608 Year 3: $124,236 Optometry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $93,610 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $107,632 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,938 Year 2: $74,122 Year 3: $77,998 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $65,051 Year 2: $81,498 Year 3: $77,389 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $75,822 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,062 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $75,775 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,334 Year 2: $64,837 Year 3: $75,354 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,507 Year 2: $67,240 Year 3: $71,530 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,480 Year 2: $69,535 Year 3: $70,863 Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,397 Year 2: $65,905 Year 3: $70,419	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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