Northern Illinois University Data & Information Overview

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Where Does Northern Illinois University Rank?

2026 Rankings

College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.

Northern Illinois University was awarded 780 badges in the 2026 rankings.

Overall Ranking

College Factual ranked NIU as #393 out of 5,192 colleges and universities in the country on its 2026 Best Colleges list.

NIU also holds the #20 spot on the Best Colleges in Illinois ranking.

See all of the rankings for Northern Illinois University.

How Much Money Do NIU Graduates Make?

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from NIU make around $53,747 per year during the early years of their employment. That’s great news for NIU students since it is 32% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $40,669 per year.