University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

Envision yourself as a college student, navigating the exciting yet daunting task of selecting the ideal university that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences. To assist you in this crucial decision, we present a comprehensive comparison of two esteemed institutions: University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Northern Illinois University (NIU). While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique characteristics. UIS, a public university located in the heart of Illinois' capital city, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. NIU, on the other hand, is a larger public university situated in DeKalb, offering a more diverse range of academic programs and a vibrant campus life. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors that set these two universities apart, empowering you to make an informed choice that aligns with your educational goals and personal preferences.

	Northern Illinois University	University of Illinois Springfield
Overview
Location	Dekalb, Illinois	Springfield, Illinois
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%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.4%	79.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	990 - 1250
ACT range	N/A	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		50.0%
Students submitting ACT score		20.0%
Total number of applicants	22,602	2,496
Total number of admissions given out	15,922	1,984
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,285	264
Yield rate	14.4%	13.3%
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: $16,411 Out of state: $26,026
Average net price	$13,265	$11,965
Tuition	$9,606	In state: $9,503 Out of state: $19,118
Room & board	$11,098	Room/dormitory: $7,610 Meal plan: $4,200
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,008	94.0% Average amount $12,335
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $5,313	49.0% Average amount $5,016
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $11,726	4.0% Average amount $8,320

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	2,503 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
Graduate students	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%	1,441 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	8.8%
International students	4.6%	6.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	4,500	1,123
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Michigan Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science	Computer and Information Science Business Public Administration and Social Service Psychology Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.8%	53.4%
Dropout rate	46.9%	45.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
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	Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,512 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $90,183 Computer Systems Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,296 Year 2: $75,989 Year 3: $80,475 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,137 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $73,396 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,516 Year 2: $60,399 Year 3: $69,637 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,304 Year 2: $56,579 Year 3: $56,325 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,819 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $56,077 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,603 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $54,419 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,642 Year 2: $50,161 Year 3: $53,394 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,054 Year 2: $51,392 Year 3: $49,957 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,513 Year 2: $40,209 Year 3: $48,226

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