Northern Illinois University

What are the graduation rates for students at Northern Illinois University?

NIU's reported six-year graduation rate is 49%, while its four-year rate is 29%, according to the supplied 2024-25 IPEDS figures. These measures describe completion within specified periods for a defined entering cohort; they are not the odds of graduation for every person who enrolls.

IPEDS graduation-rate measures generally focus on first-time, full-time students entering a degree program. Transfer students, part-time students and students who change institutions may have different paths that these figures do not fully capture. NIU's reported retention rate is 70%, a separate measure concerning students who return after their first year. A prospective student can use these numbers to ask about course availability, advising and time-to-degree in a specific major, without treating the rates as a prediction of an individual result.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Northern Illinois University?

College Scorecard field-of-study figures provide a limited view of earnings about one year after completion for federally aided graduates included in its reporting. They are not starting-salary offers, and they do not represent every graduate of a major.

• Electrical, electronics and communications engineering: $70,234.
• Registered nursing and related nursing fields: $61,111.
• Computer science: $58,306.
• Accounting and related services: $53,726.
• Psychology, general: $28,265.

These reported field-level amounts are useful for comparing broad early-career patterns, but major alone does not determine pay. Occupation, location, additional schooling, work hours and the number of graduates captured in a measure can all affect the result. One-year earnings also say little about later career growth or whether a student's job is related to the degree.