Northern Illinois University (NIU) vs Governors State

Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Governors State University (GSU) are two distinct public universities in Illinois, each offering unique educational experiences. NIU, located in DeKalb, boasts a larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to GSU in University Park. While NIU excels in programs like Business, Education, and Engineering, GSU shines in fields such as Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Social Work. Both universities cater to diverse student populations, with NIU having a slightly higher graduation rate. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these institutions. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Governors State University	Northern Illinois University
Overview
Location	University Park, Illinois	Dekalb, Illinois
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Suburb: Small
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	48.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.1%	70.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	830 - 1060	N/A
ACT range	16 - 22	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%
Total number of applicants	1,168	22,602
Total number of admissions given out	608	15,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	194	2,285
Yield rate	31.9%	14.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,746 Out of state: $33,258	$27,218
Average net price	$9,943	$13,265
Tuition	In state: $7,512 Out of state: $15,024	$9,606
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,729 Meal plan: $3,000	$11,098
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $10,791	98.0% Average amount $13,008
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $5,514	58.0% Average amount $5,313
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $5,587	5.0% Average amount $11,726

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,709 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students	1,686 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	5.2%	N/A
International students	7.3%	4.6%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	272	4,500
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Indiana Florida Michigan Ohio	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Psychology Liberal Arts	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	15.8%	50.8%
Dropout rate	37.4%	46.9%
Transferred out	43.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,815 Year 2: $93,224 Year 3: $95,009 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,988 Year 2: $81,491 Year 3: $87,571 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,354 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $81,519 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,424 Year 2: $75,270 Year 3: $77,385 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,463 Year 2: $65,695 Year 3: $72,555 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $66,333 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,558 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $52,548 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,935 Year 3: $51,608 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,325 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,565 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,762 Year 2: $44,595 Year 3: $51,524	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

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