Inside Academics at Northern Illinois University

All About Academics

Heres a high-level look at academic life at Northern Illinois University, covering the student-to-faculty ratio, the majors and degrees offered, and what online and distance learning is available.

Use the sections below to explore each part of academic life in more detail, or follow a link to the full report on that topic:

• Faculty Resources
• Most Popular Majors
• Additional Questions to Ask
• Continue Your Research

Faculty & Class Sizes

The student-to-faculty ratio at Northern Illinois University is about average at 14 to 1, close to the national average of 15 to 1. With 76% of instructors full time, Northern Illinois University is above the national average of 47%.

For the full breakdown — tenure status, part-time and adjunct share, and how the faculty compares with the national average — see the faculty composition report.

Majors and Fields of Study

Northern Illinois University offers 67 majors with reported completions across 24 broad fields of study.

Degrees offered at Northern Illinois University are summarised below:

The most popular majors at Northern Illinois University, measured by graduates, are listed below.

See the full majors breakdown on the academic majors page.

Questions Worth Asking

As you weigh academic life at Northern Illinois University, a few more questions are worth asking:

• Need flexibility? Check whether Northern Illinois University offers the online or summer classes that fit your schedule — about 7,987 undergraduates study at least partly online. See distance learning options.
• Interested in outcomes? Look at how well Northern Illinois University retains and graduates its students — 70% of full-time freshmen return). Explore graduation rates.
• Worried about job prospects? Ask about employment outcomes for recent graduates of Northern Illinois University.

Explore Further on Northern Illinois University

Use the pages below to go deeper on any academic topic:

• Majors & Degree Programs at Northern Illinois University — the full list of majors, concentrations and graduation numbers
• Faculty Composition at Northern Illinois University — student-faculty ratio, full-time vs adjunct, and tenure detail
• Graduation and Retention at Northern Illinois University — graduation and first-year retention rates
• Online Learning at Northern Illinois University — what online and distance learning is available
• Accreditation at Northern Illinois University — regional and program accreditation status