Northern Illinois vs. Ripon College

Should I go to Northern Illinois University or Ripon College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northern Illinois or Ripon College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Northern Illinois University vs. Ripon College comparison
Northern Illinois University Ripon College College 3 College 4
Northern Illinois University Ripon College
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Overview

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Location Dekalb, IL Ripon, WI
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 15,649 766
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #454
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website niu.edu ripon.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Tuition (In State) $9,790 $49,300
Tuition (Out of State) $9,790 $49,300
Room & Board $11,420 $9,490
Avg Net Price $13,884 $21,999
Avg Grant Aid $12,552 $38,826
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,961 2,142
Admitted 18,348 1,742
Acceptance Rate 70.7% 81.3%
Enrolled % 13.3% 11.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/25 20/27
SAT Range 940/1170 940/1160
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Business (13%)
  • History (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Graduation Rate 56% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 $49,200
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,859 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $289

Diversity

Northern Illinois Ripon College
% Men 46% 51%
% Women 54% 49%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 83%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 15% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Northern Illinois Ripon College
% In-State 93% 63%
% Out-of-State 5% 35%

Campus

Northern Illinois Ripon College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northern Illinois University is larger than than Ripon College based on total student enrollment (15,649 students vs. 766 students)

Northern Illinois vs. Ripon College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northern Illinois or Ripon College?

  • Ripon College is 403.6% more expensive to attend than Northern Illinois for in-state tuition ($49,300.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 403.6% higher at Ripon College than Northern Illinois University ($49,300.00 vs. $9,790.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northern Illinois University than Ripon College ($13,884 vs. $21,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ripon College are 20.3% lower than costs at Northern Illinois University ($9,490 vs. $11,420)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ripon College than Northern Illinois University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ripon College students is 209.3% larger than aid received Northern Illinois University ($38,826 vs. $12,552)

Northern Illinois vs. Ripon College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Northern Illinois or Ripon College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Ripon College or Northern Illinois .

  • The average SAT score at Ripon College (1105) is 76 points higher than at Northern Illinois (1029)
  • Incoming Ripon College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Northern Illinois (22)
  • Accepted freshman Ripon College students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at Northern Illinois (3.3)
  • Ripon College has a higher acceptance rate (81.3%) than Northern Illinois (70.7%)

Northern Illinois vs. Ripon College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northern Illinois or Ripon College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Ripon College and Northern Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Ripon College is higher than Northern Illinois University (70% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from Ripon College earn on average $1,600 more per year than Northern Illinois graduates after ten years. ($49,200 vs. $47,600)
  • Northern Illinois University students graduate with a $4,141 lower median federal student loan debt than Ripon College graduates. ($23,859 vs. $28,000)
  • Northern Illinois graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than Ripon College graduates. ($246 vs. $289)
  • More Ripon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northern Illinois students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/