by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Northern Illinois University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The cost of attendance at Northern Illinois University works out to about $27,214.00 a year.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $13,248.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,966.00 |
| Total cost | $27,214.00 |
| That is 41% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,214.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,460.00 |
| Net price | $11,754.00 |
| That is 39% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,214.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$18,725.00 |
| Net price | $8,489.00 |
| That is 56% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Published costs have climbed year over year at about 2.0% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $8,661.00 | $11,993.00 | $27,766.00 |
| Senior year | $9,200.00 | $12,738.00 | $29,492.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $35,715.00 | $49,451.00 | $114,493.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $13,606.00 | $18,839.00 | $43,618.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $411.00 | $569.00 | $1,318.00 |
| Total amount paid | $49,320.00 | $68,290.00 | $158,111.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $8,661.00 | $11,993.00 | $27,766.00 |
| Senior year | $8,837.00 | $12,236.00 | $28,330.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $17,498.00 | $24,229.00 | $56,096.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,666.00 | $9,230.00 | $21,371.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $201.00 | $279.00 | $646.00 |
| Total amount paid | $24,165.00 | $33,459.00 | $77,467.00 |
Read more in the net-price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $13,391.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $12,909.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,047.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $9,740.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,674.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,806.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,307.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Northern Illinois University Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid page.
The typical debt load for borrowers leaving Northern Illinois University stands at $16,250.00, which federal data classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,750.00 |
| 25th | $8,517.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,250.00 |
| 75th | $27,644.00 |
| 90th | $37,991.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt page.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,000.00 |
| Middle income | $16,000.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
Low-income graduates carry $3,000.00 more than graduates from high-income families.
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,750.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000.00 |
First-generation borrowers from Northern Illinois University leave with $1,750.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of Northern Illinois University stands at $3,567.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Northern Illinois University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 7.4% |
For context on the loan portfolio, Stafford disbursements at Northern Illinois University add up to $1,477,104,703.00 covering 67,855 disbursements.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 154 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,336.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 5 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $1,350.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veteran aid breakdown.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Northern Illinois University, think through the questions below:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.