by our College Data Analytics TeamNational Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution in Chicago, Illinois enrolling 4,406 undergraduates. It accepts 95% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 30%, near the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,051 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 20%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
National Louis University ranks #1,051 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 20%.
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
National Louis University was awarded 229 badges in the 2027 rankings.
College Factual ranked NLU as #1,051 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list.
Within the state, NLU holds the #53 spot on the Best Colleges in Illinois ranking.
See all of the rankings for National Louis University.
National Louis University has an acceptance rate of 95%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for NLU.
Learn more about National Louis University admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at National Louis University is about average at 17 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at National Louis University is 98%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate is a sign of how many full-time students like a college or university well enough to come back for their sophomore year. At National Louis University this rate is 50%, which is a bit lower than the national average of 68%.
When it comes to finishing their studies on time, those seeking a bachelor’s degree from NLU have a four-year graduation rate of 30%. This is comparable to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at National Louis University.
During the most recent academic year, there were 4,406 undergraduates at NLU.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at National Louis University.
The average net price of NLU is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12,462 | $11,567 | $12,996 | $15,447 | $17,956 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of NLU, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At NLU, approximately 22% of students took out student loans averaging $9,786 a year. That adds up to $39,144 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 2.4%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for National Louis University.
Although some majors pay more than others, students who graduate from National Louis University with a bachelor’s degree go on to jobs where they make an average salary of $45,799 in their early years. This is in the same neighborhood of the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. However, certain majors may produce higher-paying graduates.
See which majors at National Louis University make the most money.
National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of National Louis University.
Contact details for National Louis University are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 122 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603 |
| Phone: | 8004435522 |
| Website: | www.nl.edu |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/NationalLouisU |
In the latest year of available data, students from 14 majors graduated from National Louis University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 2,753 | NA |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 702 | $41,144 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 263 | $44,854 |
| Business Administration & Management | 263 | $70,872 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 211 | $55,059 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 209 | $53,446 |
| Special Education | 165 | $53,332 |
| Educational Administration | 154 | $95,195 |
| Culinary Arts | 133 | $31,385 |
| Child Development & Family Studies | 133 | $37,629 |
3,073 students took at least one online class at National Louis University.
Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.
Learn more about online learning at National Louis University.
Want to see how other colleges compare to NLU? Match them up using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References