Northern Illinois University (NIU) vs Old Dominion University (ODU)

Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Old Dominion University (ODU) are two public universities with distinct characteristics. NIU, located in DeKalb, Illinois, has a higher acceptance rate (79%) compared to ODU's 71%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with NIU excelling in fields like business, education, and engineering, while ODU is known for its strengths in engineering, health professions, and business. NIU's student body is slightly larger, with over 15,000 undergraduates, while ODU has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of international students. In terms of graduation rates, ODU has a slightly higher four-year graduation rate (38%) compared to NIU's 35%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which university better aligns with your academic

	Northern Illinois University	Old Dominion University
Overview
Location	Dekalb, Illinois	Norfolk, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
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%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.4%	96.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1020 - 1220
ACT range	N/A	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		83.0%
Students submitting ACT score		11.0%
Total number of applicants	22,602	13,586
Total number of admissions given out	15,922	13,074
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,285	2,899
Yield rate	14.4%	22.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$27,218	In state: $28,088 Out of state: $48,248
Average net price	$13,265	$17,254
Tuition	$9,606	In state: $7,029 Out of state: $26,664
Room & board	$11,098	Room/dormitory: $7,690 Meal plan: $5,398
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,008	91.0% Average amount $7,702
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $5,313	57.0% Average amount $5,222
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $11,726	7.0% Average amount $15,206

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	18,678 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%	4,816 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	10.2%
International students	4.6%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	4,500	4,361
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania North Carolina New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Education Engineering Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.8%	48.7%
Dropout rate	46.9%	19.7%
Transferred out	N/A	28.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,047 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $104,107 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,948 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $103,379 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,161 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $83,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,137 Year 2: $72,231 Year 3: $83,852 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $74,043 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $77,597 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,315 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $75,302 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,709 Year 2: $66,126 Year 3: $74,887 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,357 Year 2: $71,114 Year 3: $74,858 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,112 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $73,924 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $62,654 Year 3: $72,559

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