Oakland University (OU) vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

Oakland University and Northern Illinois University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Oakland University, nestled in the vibrant city of Rochester, Michigan, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. In contrast, Northern Illinois University, located in the charming town of DeKalb, Illinois, offers a larger and more diverse student population. While Oakland University prides itself on its strong acceptance rate, Northern Illinois University maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Oakland University excelling in fields like nursing and engineering, while Northern Illinois University shines in areas such as business and education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Northern Illinois University	Oakland University
Overview
Location	Dekalb, Illinois	Rochester Hills, Michigan
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Large
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.4%	92.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	$45
SAT range	N/A	970 - 1230
ACT range	N/A	21 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		60.0%
Students submitting ACT score		10.0%
Total number of applicants	22,602	10,645
Total number of admissions given out	15,922	9,803
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,285	2,025
Yield rate	14.4%	20.7%
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: $27,222 Out of state: $37,996
Average net price	$13,265	$14,316
Tuition	$9,606	In state: $13,934 Out of state: $24,708
Room & board	$11,098	$10,639
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	90.0% Average amount $10,413
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $5,313	40.0% Average amount $4,896
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $11,726	3.0% Average amount $11,832

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	13,771 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
Graduate students	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%	3,399 Men 43.2% Women 56.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	2.5%
International students	4.6%	4.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,500	3,330
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Michigan Ohio Texas Florida Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.8%	56.1%
Dropout rate	46.9%	30.4%
Transferred out	N/A	8.6%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,063 Year 2: $104,510 Year 3: $111,195 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,486 Year 2: $103,078 Year 3: $104,636 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,963 Year 2: $96,829 Year 3: $102,429 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,366 Year 2: $89,412 Year 3: $100,527 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,453 Year 2: $80,858 Year 3: $88,542 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,313 Year 2: $78,488 Year 3: $85,248 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,319 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $82,466 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,808 Year 2: $76,962 Year 3: $82,235 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,652 Year 2: $68,305 Year 3: $78,387 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,648 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $75,775

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Oakland University (OU) vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

Northern Illinois University

Oakland University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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